Stronger
by RedLion2
Summary: When you're the leader, you're expected to be strong. What happens when you find you're not as strong as you think? What if you need someone else in your life? Leonardo x OC. Set in the 2012 'verse, seven years later.
1. Superstitious

I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in any of their various incarnations. Like any fan, I wish I did.

I have been a fan of TMNT since the original 1987 show debuted. I watched it any chance I got, but didn't get to see every episode. Now, I'm watching the new show on Nick, and liking what I see. This story is being written solely for my own entertainment and muse, but I like to share, so here it is. In this story, and the following ones (if I get that far), the turtles are now in their early 20's. I'm going off some of the things in the new show; Master Splinter is now black and white, and April has been friends with them from age sixteen, when they saved her from being kidnapped. Also, since I think the April/Donny pairing is cute, I've stuck with that. I am not, nor will I ever be, a Casey Jones fan. Sorry. No CJ in this story.

And since Leonardo is my favorite, this story is his. His, and the nice girl he falls for. So if you're not into the turtles pairing with OCs, this isn't for you. Sorry again.

No more apologies. Here it is, for better or worse. Thanks for reading, even if this is as far as you go.

**STRONGER**

CHAPTER ONE: SUPERSTITIOUS

Melisande Tomkins slid her slender hand into her cocoa-brown purse and discreetly checked the time on her smart phone. It was nearing ten pm, and the lecturer she was currently listening to was still going strong. Not that the subject matter was bad; the man was talking about his adventures in the Canadian wild. He'd written a book about it, which Melisande, or Meli, as she liked to be called, had read a few weeks ago in preparation for tonight. He was a decent writer, but she'd read better. And by now, the droning of his voice was causing her eyelids to lower for longer periods.

_Time to go_, she thought. There was a decent little crowd of listeners at the book store, big enough to give her confidence she could slip away relatively unnoticed. She picked up her purse and stood. The speaker's voice never wavered. Hurrying away from the little reception area, she sighed in relief. She wasn't one who liked hurting someone's feelings, though she suspected the man knew what she was doing. _At least I didn't fall asleep. That would've been worse._

The New York air was bitter tonight, and she drew her coat closer to her small frame. Her dark, always curling hair crept out from beneath her hat and clung to her face, irritating her. She brushed it back with an impatient hand. She was tired; she'd spent all day at the Trove, her little book shop, and business had been steady. Her father, a professor-turned-Indy Jones, had sent her a nice little bundle of unique books from the Caribbean, where he was currently traipsing around. The books had come in on Monday; today was Thursday, and two of the four had already found homes.

She hummed a Steve Miller tune under her breath as she crossed the street and headed into her neighborhood. It was darker here; a few street lights were knocked out, and the remaining ones cast longer shadows. It did no good to linger on the street in these parts. Her shop, and attached small apartment, were just beyond the next corner. The breeze grew stronger, blowing a couple of stray pieces of paper along the street before pushing them up against the storm sewers. A small black cat, scrappy and scruffy, crossed her path, making her draw up short. _Rotten luck!_ Not that she was really superstitious or anything. Her father had always thought you made your own luck, and she tried to follow his philosophy. Still, she had to admit, seeing the cat made her rethink her decision to come this way. She could've taken a different route, but it was longer. _Ah, well. Buck up._ Dipping her head against the chilly November air, she walked on.

The loud voice startled her. She wasn't used to anyone being out and about this late in this neighborhood. Another voice chimed in, and another, and their subject content was made all too clear. Biting her lip and hoping to avoid the deal going down, she began to backtrack. And she might've gotten away with it, if her phone hadn't beeped, wanting attention for its dying battery. She froze. Four men emerged from the long alley she'd been about to cross. The first one looked her over, smiled, and pointed his gun at her.

_Stupid rotten luck. Stupid cat._ Meli's heart hammered and her feet stumbled as the men herded her into the alley. She'd been warned by one of them to keep her mouth shut or she'd be dead. The urge to scream surged up her throat. She fought it down. There might be a slight chance they'd let her live, but right now the one in a black sweatshirt with KISS's logo was staring at her, his gun drawing a target on her heart. A heart that seemed quite close to bursting with terror.

The taller man, the one who'd smiled at her, walked over. The deal had apparently been sealed. "So, gorgeous, ya got a name?" he asked. He might've been nice-looking, but for the drug haze in his eyes and the skull tattoo that crossed his face. When she didn't answer, couldn't out of fear, he grabbed her arm. "Said, what's your name?"

"Aw, she's too scared to talk," the kid in black said. Meli was shaking now. Oh, sure she carried the obligatory can of mace in her purse, but what good did that do her now? Her father had told her to buy a taser, but she'd resisted, thinking they were too violent. And anyway, in this position she found herself in, neither would help. Not with all the guns pointed at her.

"You better say somethin,' girly," the one holding her arm said.

"Maybe she likes bein' quiet," another chimed in.

"I like loud ones." Her captor stared at her. "You get me, girl? Loud." He made a few grunting noises.

And just like that, Meli saw through her terror what would happen. Somehow, she was part of this deal of theirs now. The piece of filth holding her thought she'd go and do _that_ with him? Anger broke past the horror. Meli jerked her arm away and kicked out at him, at the same time swinging her purse. The kick drove him back, catching him in the upper thigh. Her purse connected with Black Sweatshirt, smacking him squarely across the face. Her euphoria at fighting back faded, though, as the other two men grabbed her and threw her down onto the pavement. This time, she screamed.

She heard a sharp intake of breath, saw one of the men fall flat, and was suddenly lifted to her feet. "Hide," someone whispered in her ear, and she was given a soft push toward the back of the alley. Meli nodded and ran to two large dumpsters, wedging herself in between them. Her attackers were on the defensive now, and one of them fired a shot. She heard more groans, a sharp cry of pain, and it was still. So still she heard her own heart rampaging in her chest, and took a small, deep breath. Was it really over? She poked her head out, and saw four bodies on the ground. But where was her rescuer? She slipped out from her hiding place and crept forward, cautiously eyeing the men on the concrete.

Then there was a hitched breath. She stopped. She knew that kind of breath. It was one of pain, pain intense enough you couldn't hide it. "Hello?" she whispered. Nothing. Not even another breath. "I know you're hurt. I can tell from your breathing," she said. She moved again, her hazel eyes now roving the shadows. "I promise, I can help you. Please."

Her rescuer gave another breath. Aha. She had him now. She stopped and said, "You can't stay here and bleed to death, now can you? Please, let me help you. You helped me." Sound and logical. Would it work?

"I'm okay." The voice was nice, not too baritone, not flighty. She liked it.

She took a step closer. "You're a terrible liar," she said. Her voice was soft, gentle. "I really can help. I've taken some nursing classes." They hadn't been her idea; her mother had been a nurse, and her father had urged to the same profession. But she was too much like him, too fond of books. The training she'd picked up had never been put to use before, but she was sure she remembered it all. _And really, most of the training didn't come from those classes, anyway. _Her uncle Rafe had had an awful lot to do with her "nursing" skills.

There was a ripple in the shadows, and very slowly, her rescuer emerged. "Oh," she breathed, compelled to take a step closer. Blood trickled down his left side and ran slippery red down his muscular green leg. _Green? What in the world…_Meli lifted her eyes to take the rest of him in, and held herself rock-still. A turtle. Her rescuer was a _turtle_? And not just any old garden-variety terrapin, either: he was about five foot eight or nine, and packing a serious pair of katana. He was watching her from behind a blue mask, the tails of which fluttered behind him in the breeze. "Hi," she offered, once she found her voice. She was proud it didn't shake. _He saved my life. I can't possibly be afraid of him._ She smiled, hoping to put him at ease.

"Hello." He held himself quiet, even though she knew his wound had to be hurting something fierce. Blood still tracked down his side.

She took a step closer, watching as he drew himself tighter into his shell. "Are you okay enough to walk?"

"Yes." His eyes never left hers. Eyes so blue they brought to mind the Atlantic on a warm summer day.

"Okay." So he wasn't chatty. That was fine. He was in enough pain that talking was probably hard for him. "Um, my apartment is just up around the next corner. I've got first aide stuff there." My, didn't she sound eloquent. She started to walk past him, toward the opening of the alley.

"Are you alright?" His concern was palpable, and she turned to him, seeing it radiating from his eyes. She had to swallow hard – it'd been a long time since a guy had looked that way at her. It didn't even matter that he was a turtle.

"Yes, thanks to you," she whispered. She still wasn't sure if she was actually conversing with a giant turtle, or if that slam to the ground a bit ago had rendered her unconscious, in a really weird dream state.

"Good." He seemed to be waiting, so she started leading the way out of the alley. It was much colder now, and she shivered, wishing she'd listened to her instincts earlier and worn her heavier coat. She glanced over her shoulder; the turtle was coming along, his face devoid of any emotion. But his jaw was clenched, and he kept his left hand tight against his side. She wanted to walk faster, or jog, even, but didn't think he'd be able to keep up.

They reached the store front, and she slid her key in, having grabbed it out of her purse on the way. She didn't want to keep him waiting any longer than necessary. She stepped in and hit the first light switch; two tall floor lamps came on, illuminating the main room of the store with all its book cases and treasures her father had gleaned the world over. "My apartment is back this way," she said. She waved toward a rear door, and waited as he stepped by her so she could relock the front one. She didn't want any interruptions.

"Here, please sit," she said. She showed him into her small kitchen, noticing the care he took to ensure his shell didn't knock anything off the countertop. "Be right back." She hurried to the bathroom, and grabbed her first aid kit from the back shelf. Pausing to glance in the vanity mirror, she grimaced. With her hair disheveled and street grime streaking her face, it was no wonder he thought she might be hurt. _Oh, stuff it_. It didn't matter what she looked like right now. It only mattered that she help him, because he had risked his life for her.

He was ill at ease when she came back into the kitchen. His eyes followed her close, and for this she blushed, feeling self-conscious. She set the kit on the table and grabbed a couple of rags from a drawer. Running them under warm water and putting a bit of gentle soap on them, she turned to him. He eyed her.

"Can I see your wound?" she asked. It looked like he was considering bolting, but then he removed his hand, and she got her first true look. The blood was starting to clot, but she saw the ragged edges. She sucked in a sharp breath. A knife wound. _Those crazies had knives?_ She could imagine what sort of damage they would've done to her had he not shown up. Her vision swam a little, and she reached a hand to the back of his chair to steady herself. _Get it together, Tomkins._ "I'm sorry you got hurt," she said. She cleaned the wound with gentle care, glad it wasn't very big.

"I'm glad you didn't." His voice was low. He had his eyes closed against the pain, and she marveled at how tough he was. Even though the wound wasn't particularly large, it was deep enough that he needed stitches.

"Thank you for rescuing me," she said. She put some antiseptic on another clean cloth. "This will sting some." He nodded, probably already figuring it would. She saw a few faint scars on his toned arms, and wondered how in the world he'd gotten them. Saving other people in distress? He made no sound as she put on the antiseptic. "You were very brave," she added.

He opened his eyes to look at her. "You're welcome." No comment on the brave part.

"It isn't too deep, but it needs stitches. I can do that, if you'd like." Really, where else would he go? She doubted he frequented a veterinarian's office much.

"Thank you." Again he closed his eyes, like he was summoning will power to stay seated. She got a needle and heavy-duty thread, the kind doctors used in the ER.

"They're sterile, in case you're wondering." She paused. "Would you like anything to drink, or eat? I have tea, or coffee, or soda." Her mouth was dry; she could only imagine his, after all the fighting.

"Tea, please. Thank you," he said. She nodded and moved away to set some water to boiling. Taking up the needle and thread, she considered his position.

"Um, this would be easier if you were lying down," she told him. He opened his eyes again and nodded. "My couch is this way," she added, waiting for him to get to his feet. He followed her into her living room and waited as she pitched her throw pillows off to make room for him, leaving one for his head. He lay down, and she knelt next to him. "Just try to relax," she encouraged. She began to stitch the ragged edges together, recalling her training.

"So...you learned how to stitch in school?" he asked, his voice dark with pain.

"Well, yes and no." She paused for a second. "One of my uncles taught me how to do it, actually. But I did take a couple of nursing classes, too." She worked quietly then for a few moments, and he seemed content to stay quiet as well. "My name is Melisande Tomkins," she told him a couple minutes later. She stitched quickly, carefully, trying not to hurt him more than he already was. "Meli, if you'd like," she added.

"Nice name," he offered. "I'm Leonardo. Leo."

She smiled. It fit him and she told him so. She thought maybe she saw the corner of his mouth tilt upward, but couldn't be sure. His skin wasn't near as tough as she'd thought it would be, and she liked the smoothness of it. In fact, if she was going to be completely honest with herself, she rather liked having this well-built turtle in her home. As soon as she let that thought pass, she blushed something terrible and hoped he wouldn't choose that moment to open his eyes. Really, what was she thinking? Would he even be attracted to a human? Was she really attracted to _him_? She wasn't willing to examine that thought, so she concentrated on finishing up her work.

The kettle whistled as she finished up, and she went to her main cupboard and stretched to reach her tea tin. He came back into the kitchen and sat down, watching her with a steady gaze. "What sounds good?" she asked. She was having trouble thinking about the tea, as his gaze was warm and intense, and for a second, she couldn't breathe. Seriously, she needed to quit reading those stupid romance novels her mother had left her.

"What do you have?" he asked. He seemed more relaxed now, as if he sensed she really was trust-worthy, now that she'd put him back together.

She took a breath and set the tin on the table, allowing him to look through the tea, and hoping there was at least one he deemed appealing. He took two out and held them to her, and she smiled. _Sweet Dreams, my favorite._ Was her luck starting to get better? It was hard to find a guy who liked tea, and especially the same kind she did. She made two cups and handed him one, fascinated at how large his hand was on her delicate china cup, and how gently he handled it. They were both quiet for a few moments.

"Do you own the store?" he asked a while later. His voice sounded friendlier now, not clipped and upset. She supposed most of that had been the adrenaline, and not knowing how she'd react to a big talking turtle, especially one who packed a grisly-looking pair of katana.

She nodded. "The Trove, I call it. I sell books. Well, old books, anyway. No best-sellers here, unless they're rare, or unique, or different." She blushed, hating that she was rambling. Attractive men always had weird effects on her. And no matter that he was a turtle – he was definitely attractive.

He sipped his tea. "It's a very nice place." He moved and she caught the wince that crossed his face. He wasn't feeling hot.

"Thanks. Would you like some ibuprofen? That will help with the pain," she said.

"No, I'm fine." The response came so fast she knew it was automatic. He hadn't even stopped to register how much pain he was in. She got up and went to another cupboard, taking out a large bottle and turning to him. His eyes widened. "No, really, I'm fine," he said.

"You're hurt. You need to take something," she said. She slid the bottle across the table to him. "Please."

He frowned, but reached for the bottle. He unscrewed the top and shook out two pills. He swallowed them down with some tea.

"Now, that wasn't too hard, right?" she said, and smiled when he shot a dark little glare her way. "You don't have to be in pain just to prove you're a hero."

He snorted and said something below his breath that she couldn't catch. For some reason, his reaction made her mad. "Leo, you are a hero. _My_ hero. Do you know what those guys were planning to do to me?" She didn't have to say it. She saw the conclusion in his eyes when they met hers.

"I'm glad I was there." His eyes didn't leave hers while he said it, and she could feel a blush blooming across her cheeks.

"Me too," she said. She didn't want to imagine what could've gone on. Deciding she wouldn't think about it right now, she asked, "Do you like to read?" Her job, her hobby, were much safer topics. Later, when he'd gone his way, and she could cry, she'd face what had happened earlier.

He nodded. "All the time. I'm assuming you do, too." He offered her a smile.

"It's a passion," she admitted. "A disease, my father says. I caught it from him." A soft smile stole over her face as she thought about him, wondering where he'd be off to next. It would've been nice to see him, but he'd never been one to roost in any one place long. Made life stale, he said.

"Are you two close?" There was genuine curiosity in Leo's voice.

"Yes, but we don't see each other much. He travels, looking for rare and exotic literature. He sends them here to me, and I sell them." Or, sometimes she kept them. She hadn't been able to part with the fabulous expose of the European monarchs. "Do you have family?" she asked. She immediately hoped he did; she didn't want him to feel bad. Surely there had to be some others like him. Right?

"Three brothers, all younger, and a father. Well, father and Sensei. He's a…rat. Literally." He paused, watching her close. "We're mutants. We were changed when some mutagen was poured on us."

"Oh." She processed this, and jumped to what interested her more. "A Sensei? As in martial arts?"

He nodded. "Ninjutsu, specifically."

She smiled. "Ninjas. Ninja turtles." She found she liked this way of thinking of him and his brothers. "So that explains the katana and mad fighting skills." Wow, had she said that last little part out loud? Could he tell that she was crushing right now? On a _turtle_? A turtle she'd just met? Still, he'd saved her life. He deserved a crush just for that.

He smiled, a true smile, and her heart skipped. It looked like a thousand suns burning. "Thanks. We've been training pretty much our whole lives. Master Splinter is a very good teacher."

"And you go around saving people?"

He grew serious again. "More or less. We have some enemies, and we fight as much crime as we can. And sometimes, yes, we come across people that need our help." His mouth became a grim line, and she realized she'd do just about anything to bring back that thousand-sun smile of his.

"You do a great job, then. You were on time and everything tonight," she teased, desperate to erase the hard lines in his face. He looked up at her, surprised by the tone, and smiled again.

"We do aim to please," he said, and she grinned, pleased with her results.

"Do you go out alone a lot, or with your brothers?"

"Both. I just happened to be solo tonight. We work best as a team, though." Again he became pensive, and she wondered at the family dynamics. Did they get along? Was he the leader? It stood to reason that he was, being the oldest. He straightened up in his chair, and glanced at her. "I should go now. Thank you for everything."

She could feel panic crawl through her. He wasn't really leaving already? She barely knew anything about him. "Are you sure? There's more tea. Are you sure you're okay to go home?" She hated that she sounded desperate.

He nodded and got up. He winced, and she wished there was more she could do for him. She thought about asking him to spend the night, so he wouldn't have to be on the move, but felt it would be much too soon for that. He turned to her, and said, "Thank you, Meli. You didn't have to do this." He indicated the stitches.

"My pleasure. You got hurt protecting me," she said softly. "It's the least I could do." She followed him back out into the store, where he paused to look around. He looked good in here, so natural, like he belonged. Heat flushed her cheeks, and she bit her lip, wishing he wasn't leaving so soon. She realized now, on the brink of his going, how much he'd helped keep the fears from earlier at bay. He picked up a slim book that she knew from memory talked about feudal Japan. "If you like it, take it," she encouraged.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking at her. "I don't have any money on me."

As if she could charge him. She had a sudden thought, and decided to be brave and try it out. "Okay, how about this? I'd like to get to know you better. Why don't you drop in for a visit? We can talk books." Her blood pounded in her ears as she waited for his response. She couldn't even breathe.

A slow smile wended it's away across his face. "That would be great. I can drop by tomorrow night, if that's okay."

Okay? _Okay?_ She thought her smile might split her face in two. "That would be wonderful."

"Okay. And thank you for the book." He held it carefully, almost reverently. The way she and her father held books.

"Um, be careful going home, okay? No fighting, or you might tear the stitches out," she cautioned. She couldn't bear the thought of him getting into another fight, of lying in some other dark alley, with no one there to help him.

"I'll try not to." He moved to the door, and she rushed to unlock it. She was very aware of how big he was next to her; not really bulky, just solid, comforting. _Safe._ She blushed and opened the door for him. He stepped out and turned to her. "You be careful, too. Make sure all your doors and windows are locked. Stay away from dark alleys." It wasn't a request; his seriousness was reflected in his blue eyes as well as his voice. "I'll come over at ten tomorrow night, if that's alright."

"Can't wait," she said, and saw his instant pleasure at her heartfelt words.

"Bye, Meli."

"See you, Leo." She watched him until he melted into the shadows, and stepped back inside, locking the door. She breathed deeply, and smiled. Maybe the black cat hadn't been such an unlucky incident. After all, she'd just met maybe the nicest guy she'd ever known, and it didn't matter one wit if he wasn't human. She turned the lights out, and headed for bed, trying to ignore the tremors in her body. As long as Leo was out there, she didn't need to fear anything. She had a hero to look after her. A _ninja_ hero, at that.

Superstitions, indeed.


	2. Confessions

As usual, I own no turtles. Or rats. So, ha, you'll get NO money from me.

Thank you for the very nice reviews so far. For those who read chapter one, you might want to reread it – per some help from another writer, I fixed a trouble spot. Thanks – you know who you are. Also, since I'm basing this off the 2012 show, I'm going to assume the boys helped rescue Kirby O'Neil.

STRONGER

CHAPTER TWO: CONFESSIONS

Leo kept to the shadowed streets as he headed back home. He'd rather have been running the tops of the buildings, where he felt safer, but the wound in his side ached too much for that. The wind had picked up since he'd followed Meli to her apartment, and the bitterness of it chafed against his skin. He didn't get cold often, but when the New York air got this chilled – yeah, he'd be glad to get back to the lair. The streets were deserted now, aiding his attempt to get home without being seen. As he walked, senses attuned like radar to his surroundings, he allowed himself to think about the girl he'd rescued.

_Meli. Pretty name._ She was a pretty girl, too, but for him, the looks came second to her kind, gentle personality. The fact that she'd stayed after the fight to make sure he was okay spoke volumes about her. _And she didn't freak when she saw me._ That in of itself was amazing. _I can't believe she just let me come into her home like that. _And her handiwork was solid. He brushed the stitches with his left hand. Her work was nearly as good as Don's had gotten over the years of putting them back together again after fights. He reached the manhole cover he'd used earlier that night, checked to make sure no one was watching, lifted it, and dropped down onto the ladder. He pulled the cover back into place and began climbing down.

He hadn't expected to find much trouble this night out; if he had, he'd have brought at least one of his brothers with him. His anger, usually kept leashed beneath his calm exterior, bucked at its restraints. _Meli was lucky I came along._ Not looking for trouble, he'd heard the men talking in the alley. He'd listened in, and had been about to drop in unannounced, when the cell phone had beeped, alerting them to someone else's presence. _And then they brought Meli into the middle of it._ Leo's anger surged, and he forced it away. She was safe now. No need for any extra emotional outbursts. He smiled a bit, thinking of her going after her attackers. _Her aim was certainly good._ She'd put two down on her own, which couldn't have been easy. But when the remaining two had thrown her to the pavement, and her scream echoed off the sides of the buildings, he'd known it was time. It hadn't been hard; they weren't skilled in fighting, and but for the one sticking the knife in his side, he'd taken them out with quick efficiency.

_And then she'd come out of hiding, and waited for me to do the same._ He unconsciously touched the wound again. It had taken more courage for him to face her than it had facing the criminals. And going home with her – he was still in a bit of shock over the fact that he'd gone with her. Trusting humans wasn't a particular strong suit of his. It reminded him of something reckless Mikey would do. But he'd suspected she wouldn't leave the alley without him, leaving him no choice but to either trust her, or keep them both in the freezing darkness.

As he approached the lair where he lived with his brothers and Master Splinter, he wondered what he should tell them. Undoubtedly, one of them would notice his wound, and the subsequent stitches, and question him about the night's activities. The TV was blaring at Def-Con one level, so he knew where Mikey was. He looked toward Don's lab, and saw some small, brilliant flashes of light._ Good, that's two occupied. _Master Splinter was probably sleeping, or meditating in the dojo, so that left Raph, who could be –

"Ain't like you to be sneakin' in."

_Anywhere._ Leo stiffened and eyed his brother in red. Raph was smirking, but there was an unasked question in his emerald green eyes. "I wasn't sneaking in," Leo informed him.

"Oh please. I recognize you in stealth mode," Raph retorted. He looked his older brother up and down, and upon seeing the stitches, quickly brought his gaze back to Leo's. "Who did the handiwork?"

Leo contemplated not telling him anything. He didn't owe Raph an explanation. But, seeing as Raph had now crossed his arms over his plastron and was eying him expectantly, he wouldn't be allowed to leave without doing some explaining. "I broke up a drug deal," Leo finally said.

Raph lifted an eye ridge. "That explains the wound, but not the stitches."

Leo rubbed the back of his head. Why couldn't Raph have a hobby like the other two to keep him entertained? "There was a girl there." He hesitated; how much did he want, or need, to tell his brother? He thought about how Meli had so gently and carefully taken care of him, and felt a blush of heat work its way up his neck.

Raph leaned closer to him. "Are you blushin'?" His mouth quirked upward. "Must have been a _hot_ girl."

"Shut it," Leo growled and stalked past him. He didn't have to put up with Raph's teasing. Raph followed him, laughing.

"So who stitched you up? Hot girl?" Raph asked.

Leo sighed. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge door, perusing the contents while trying to ignore Raph's continuing guffaws. Grabbing a bottle of Coke, he shut the door and turned to see that Mikey and Don had now joined the two of them. _Great. Just what I need._ His chances at escape had just diminished to practically nothing.

"You're back, and Raph said you're hurt," Don said. He walked over to his oldest brother and bent a little to inspect the wound. "Nice work." He straightened and eyed Leo. "What happened? Who did the stitches?"

"Stitches?" Mikey bounced over and checked them out, too.

"A hot girl stitched him back together," Raph said. He leaned against the wall. Leo wished he could wipe the smirk off his face.

"What?" Don looked toward Raph for confirmation, and then back at Leo, who rolled his eyes. "Okay, what really happened?"

Leo sat down at the table and opened his Coke. He took a long, deliberate swallow, letting his brothers stew over the events of the night. When he heard Don clear his throat twice, he heaved a sigh and said, "Okay, here's what happened. I heard some guys talking in an alley. They were doing a drug deal. I was going to break it up, when a phone beeped out by the street. They went to look, and came back with a girl." And not just any girl – the prettiest, sweetest girl he'd ever met. _Hands down. _

"Yeah, so, then what?" Mikey asked. "Did you bust some heads?" He sat on the table. "Aw, man, Leo, you got to fight and didn't bring me?" He put on his best pouting face.

"Mikey, take it down a notch," Don said. "Then what?" he prompted Leo.

"They were roughing her up. I heard what they were saying…" His temper swelled and his fists clenched reflexively. "But she was tough. She kicked one of them and hit another across the face with her purse." His admiration was clear to his brothers.

"Good for her," Raph said.

"But the other two threw her down on the pavement. That's when I dropped in," Leo said. _And dropped them._ He didn't say anything else, waiting to see which brother would realize that was only part of the story and demand the rest.

"So…" Don gestured for him to continue. "How did you get hurt? Who did the stitches?" Of course it would be Donnie. Leo had already known it would be.

"One of the guys had a knife. It's not big, but it's pretty deep." Leo took a sip of his Coke. He could see Raph getting impatient. "The girl, Meli, she had been hiding while I took out the other guys. After I finished the fight, she asked me to come out of the shadows."

"And you did? Are you nuts?" Raph asked. "You're lucky she didn't scream her head off."

"Not every human screams that sees us," Don said.

"Uh, yeah, they do." Raph went to the fridge and pulled out a soda. "So, then what? Quit draggin' it out."

"I could tell she wasn't leaving without seeing me, so, yeah, I let her see me."

"No screaming?" Raph didn't seem convinced.

Leo shook his head. "No screaming. She just looked me over, saw the wound, and told me if I came with her she could stitch it. So, I did."

"Idiot." Raph slammed back half the bottle of soda. "She might've been leading you into a trap or something."

_She'd never do that._ Leo knew his brothers wouldn't buy how trustworthy Meli was. They hadn't seen her looks of concern as she'd led him back to her apartment, or felt the touch of her gentle hands as she cleaned his wound and then oh-so-carefully stitched its ragged edges back together. To his consternation, heat began to rise up his neck again, prompting Mikey to scootch closer to him.

"Aw, he's blushing! Meli must be _cute_," he said, drawing the last word out. Leo pushed him away in annoyance and tried hard to ignore the looks Don and Raph were exchanging. "So are you gonna see her again? Can I meet her?"

"No, you can't meet her." Leo got up from the table. He'd answered enough questions for the time being. He was sure Master Splinter would have plenty for him, too, in the morning. But he didn't make it out of the room – Raph intercepted and blocked him.

"You didn't finish answerin' Mikey," he said. "You gonna see her again?"

"Of course he's not," Don said. "We know we're not supposed to interact with humans, unless it's April." April O'Neil was an old friend of theirs. They'd met her when she'd been sixteen and they fifteen, and had formed a lasting friendship with her when they'd saved her from being kidnapped. Don had always crushed on her, and lately, Leo wasn't so sure she wasn't returning said crush. They'd been super cozy in his lab the night before, making Raph sick to his stomach (or so he'd claimed). She was really more of a sister to the rest of them.

Leo made no comment and tried to get past Raph, but his younger, stockier brother simply resisted the effort. "C'mon, fearless leader, lay it on us. You plannin' to see Meli again?"

_Meli_. Just her name was enough to send tingles up and down his body. Leo schooled his features into a scowl. "That's none of your business, Raph. Now get out of my face – I'm tired." He pushed against him, and Raph's eyes narrowed into tiny slits behind his red mask.

"Not gonna happen," Raph told him. "And it _is_ our business. You see her again, you put us in danger. You know what Sensei says."

"Raph's right." Don walked up behind Leo. His voice was quiet. "No one but-"

"April. Yeah, I heard you," Leo said. The problem was, he wasn't attracted to April like he was Meli. _Whoa. Did I just think that? Am I attracted to Meli? _It wasn't hard to believe; her small frame, dark curling hair and big hazel eyes were enough to get any guy's attention. _And she's so sweet and caring._ Those were the two qualities that had most drawn him in. He thought about the book she'd given him. It wasn't cheap; he'd seen her asking price while glimpsing through it. If all she wanted in return was to visit with him, get to know him better, who was he to say no? Unfortunately, that went against everything Master Splinter had taught them. They really didn't even associate much with Dr. Kirby O'Neil, April's father, whom they'd helped rescue after he was kidnapped by the Kraangs. He knew about them, certainly, but they didn't spend much time with him.

But was it fair that Donnie got to hang out whenever he wanted with April? He'd never really thought about it until now. Because until now, there hadn't been a girl he'd wanted to spend time with. His brothers were quiet, waiting to see what he'd say. "I'd like to see her again, yes," he finally told them. "She's different." He couldn't tell them he'd already made plans for the next night – they would think he was crazy. And maybe he was. He knew full-well that trusting humans could be the end of his family.

"Is she pretty?" Mikey asked. Leo glanced at him and smiled.

"Very," he said. "But she's really sweet, too. She didn't even care that I was a turtle."

"Maybe she was just in shock," Raph said. He set his soda bottle on the countertop. He eyed his older brother. "Sensei's not gonna be happy about this."

Leo frowned. "I'll talk to him about her tomorrow." He made for the doorway again. This time, Raph stepped aside and let him go. Leo took a quick, hot shower and got into bed. He set the book Meli had given him on his bedside table, thought better of it, and tucked into the pull-out drawer. No sense in leaving that out for someone to find. His side was beginning to really ache, and he knew Don would have something to take the edge off, but he was too comfortable now under his blankets to want to get up. So, instead, he thought back on the night, and let his thoughts linger on Meli. Ten minutes later, he'd drifted off into dreams that, for once, didn't end in bloodshed.

The next morning, Leo was awakened abruptly by cries from his youngest brother. He threw the blankets back and leapt from the bed. Racing out into the common area, he saw Mikey trying desperately to keep Raph from getting his hands on the TV remote. Leo sighed and walked over to them."Leo, help me!" Mikey yelled.

"Shut up," Raph growled. He feinted to the left, deep enough to draw Mikey in, then went right and snatched the remote while giving Mikey a push to off-balance him. Leo moved quick and caught his youngest brother before he could topple over.

"Thanks, Leo. You're the most awesomest brother ever. Not like him!" Mikey glared at Raph, who shrugged, vaulted over the couch, and turned the TV to something he wanted to watch.

Leo rubbed Mikey's head playfully and headed to the kitchen to make some tea and find something to eat, leaving his two brothers to continue their squabble. He found Don in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee. "Good morning," Leo said. He reached for the tin of tea and sorted through it.

"Are you going to ask Master Splinter if you can see Meli again?" Don asked. His voice was quiet, and he kept stirring his coffee, not making eye contact with Leo.

"Yes." Leo had already made up his mind about that. He in no way wanted to put his family in harm, but didn't believe Meli would ever do something to endanger him.

"What if he says no?" Now Don was watching him, gauging his reaction. Leo set the water to boil on the stove and turned to him.

"Then I'll think of something," Leo said. He met his brother's gaze head-on, seeing the turmoil in Don's warm brown eyes. "Don't worry. You know I would never intentionally put us in danger."

"I know." Don sat down at the table. He still didn't seem convinced; Leo wasn't sure what else to say to him. He'd never before felt so strongly toward a human. April, of course, was a part of them. She knew everything about them, and they about her. She was family. But he'd never entertained thoughts about her like he did Meli. If he couldn't see her again, he wasn't sure what he'd do. Master Splinter walked in just then, and nodded to both sons.

"Good morning," the old ninja master said, offering them both a smile. Don and Leo both murmured hellos and Leo sat at the table across from Don. Splinter poured himself a cup of tea; Leo had known his Sensei would be up and about soon, and had made enough for them both. He sat at the end of the table. Leo stayed quiet; he wasn't ready to bring Meli up to his master yet, or the wound in his side. "You are very quiet this morning, my sons," Splinter said. Leo glanced at him but didn't hold the look.

"Leonardo, Michelangelo tells me you were wounded last night," Splinter said a few moments later. "Would you like to tell me what happened?"

_No, not really._ But he didn't have much of a choice. He'd have to get after Mikey later for telling on him. "I broke up a drug deal last night," he said. Don shot him a look. "And rescued a girl they were roughing up," Leo added. Their Sensei nodded. "One of the men had a knife, and cut me. Meli, the girl, offered to stitch me up." He kept his eyes down while he talked.

"And you went with this Meli?" Splinter asked. His voice was even, controlled. Leo inwardly cringed.

"Yes, Master."

"Let me see your wound, please."

Leo stood and showed his left side to Splinter. The rat leaned forward and studied it, then nodded and indicated to Leo to sit. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I know I shouldn't have gone with her. But she wouldn't leave the alley without me."

"This young woman was not afraid of you? Or intimidated?" Splinter asked. He sipped his tea but kept his eyes on Leo.

"No. She was surprised, yes, but not afraid of me at all. She owns a small bookstore called the Trove, and her apartment is attached to the back of it," Leo said. "She made tea for me, and stitched my wound." Again, he thought of her gentleness with him, and hoped that he wasn't blushing. Behind him, Raph and Mikey came in and stood leaning against the counter. Leo gave Mikey a disgruntled look, but the youngest turtle merely smiled at him.

"I see." Splinter was silent for a minute or so, during which time the boys were quiet as well. Leo suspected his brothers were all waiting for the proverbial hammer to drop on him. His heart was pounding as he waited. He wanted to see Meli again, to sit with her and talk about the books they'd read. Was that so much to ask?

"Are you hoping to see her again?" Splinter asked.

Leo felt the eyes of all his brothers on him. "Yes." This time, he kept his eyes on Splinter, waiting for his decision. He knew if their Sensei said no, it would only be because he wanted to protect their little family. But Leo also wanted this for himself. As leader of the team, he'd always put his brothers, and their needs, ahead of himself. That was what was expected, and he'd never before given it any thought. The desire to protect was bound firmly to his soul. _But what if I want to protect Meli, too? Can't I do both?_ Was there not room in his life for his family, and for a girl who he already thought the world of? He knew he was getting ahead of himself a bit. He'd only just met her. Yet, her inherent gentleness and sweetness spoke so clearly to him that he couldn't stand the thought of not seeing her again.

Master Splinter set his tea cup down and met Leo's blue eyes. "You know that I have never condoned associating with humans, as they may attempt to harm us." Leo nodded. "But yet we have befriended April and her father, and have yet to regret that decision." Leo nodded again. His heart was really pumping now. "Do you truly believe this young woman would not wish harm on you, or on your family?"

"I do, Sensei. I know I have only known her since last night, but she has a kind and gentle spirit. She wasn't afraid of me, or repulsed. She treated me very well," Leo said. He wondered if he dared to hope he could see her again. "She also gave me one of the books she was selling, even when I told her I had no money for it."

Splinter rubbed the fine hairs on his chin. Leo held his breath. He wondered how his brothers were going to react. If their Sensei said no, would they go to bat for him? Or would they agree? "And you feel comfortable in her presence? You wish to continue seeing her?"

"Very much so," Leo told him.

"I see." Splinter looked to each of his sons, and finally rested his direct gaze back on Leo. "You are all getting older now, and it is normal for you to want more interaction with others, including women." He paused for a moment, and his gaze grew a bit cooler. "But I will not allow this family to be harmed, Leonardo. We must be certain of her intentions toward you."

"Yes, Sensei." Well, it wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no, either.

"We could ask her to hang out with us," Mikey piped up, grinning. "Leo'd like that! And me too!"

Leo threw a frown at him, not thinking this was the time for being funny. The safety of their little family was extremely important to him, and to their Sensei as well. None of them should be joking about it. Raph must've felt the same way – he reached over and cuffed Mikey across the back of the head.

But Splinter smiled. "It would be very nice to meet her, but I think it best if Leonardo were to get to know her a little better first." He looked at Leo, whose face split into a huge grin. "But I do not want you to go alone, my son. I want you to take along one of your brothers."

At this news, Mikey let out a whoop. "Yeah! Me, me, me! I wanna meet Meli!" Raph pounded on his shoulder.

"Shut up, Mikey," he said. He met Leo's look with a smirk. "I'm next oldest – I get to go."

"But I'm the one with the most experience with girls," Donnie argued. "I should go."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Donnie, we spend as much time with April as you do. That doesn't qualify you."

"Yeah, so be quiet," Raph said. He looked at Splinter. "Makes sense for me to go with him, Sensei. I'm the toughest." At this comment, both Mikey and Don got up in arms, and Splinter silenced them all with a clack of his walking stick on the floor.

"I will leave it to Leonardo to choose with one of you to take," he said. "When are you going to see her?"

"Tonight, probably around ten o'clock." There was no sense in telling them all that he'd already planned to return to the Trove to see her. Splinter wouldn't like that, at all.

Splinter nodded. "Very well, my son. And if this girl is someone you are serious about, we will have her come here so I may meet her."

"She's great, Sensei," Leo said. "Thank you for letting me see her again."

Splinter smiled. "You are welcome." He got to his feet. "Now then, we have some training to do. Meet in the dojo in ten minutes."

Leo waited until Splinter had left and put his tea cup in the sink. He turned and saw Raph waiting for him. _Oh, no._ He wasn't sure his hot-headed younger brother was the best one to take to Meli's. "What, Raph?"

"You know I'm the best one to take. Donnie'll try to impress her with knowledge, and Mikey…" Raph rolled his eyes. "You know that'll go bad."

Leo knew he had a point. "I'll think about it." Raph nodded and jerked his head toward the main living space.

"I guess we better get to trainin' then," he said. Leo followed him out of the kitchen, and as they walked into the dojo, and he saw their Sensei watching closely over Don and Mikey as they sparred, he knew he had to make Meli like his family, so that she could become part of it, too.


	3. Protector

I don't own any turtles or rats. Someone else very lucky gets that privilege.

Thank you for all the continued support, in the form of reviews, favorites, and follows. I appreciate the confidence.

STRONGER

CHAPTER THREE: Protector

Leo glanced at Raph as they walked toward the Trove. He'd decided to take his brother in red over the other two, leaving them both grumbling about favoritism. But it wasn't really that at all. He just knew Raph was the least likely to embarrass him in front of Meli. "Now remember, keep your comments to yourself, okay? Let me talk to her."

"Blah blah," Raph said. He looked over at his older brother. "You that worried about this?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah, I am. If this doesn't go well, she probably won't ask me to come over again." A streak of lightning overhead caught his eye for a moment. "So behave."

Raph snorted. "If you wanted behaving, you shoulda brought Donnie."

Leo sighed to himself. They were nearly at the Trove, and he cut into the alley that ran behind it. He'd figured they should knock on Meli's back door, rather than stand out front where anyone passing by could see them. Not that anyone else was about; it was deserted. He stopped in front of the door, and took a deep breath.

"Gees, what are you waitin' for?" Raph leaned over his shoulder and pounded on the door. Leo gave him a shove backwards.

"What did I say about behaving?" he asked, frowning. He didn't have much time for scolding, though – the door opened, and he found himself face-to-face with Meli again. She smiled, warmth radiating from her hazel eyes. "Uh, hi," he said, hoping she wouldn't be able to see the rapid blush of red crawling up his neck.

"Hi, Leo. I'm so glad to see you again," she said. Her eyes widened suddenly, and he remembered his brother behind him. "You brought one of your brothers, too. Cool," she added. Her smile never diminished.

"I'm Raphael, but you can call me Raph." Raph stuck his hand out, shouldering Leo aside. Meli shook his hand.

"I'm Melisande Tomkins. Meli," she told him. "Please, come in. It looks like we're in for some stormy weather." She stepped back and let the two turtles go past her. Leo led the way into her living room, glad that tonight he wasn't in such bad pain and bleeding. He sat on the couch, while Raph dropped into a comfortable-looking old recliner. "Can I get you guys anything to drink?" Meli asked.

"Tea would be great," Leo said. "Whatever kind you want to make."

"Got beer?" Raph asked. Leo immediately shot him a dirty look. Meli smiled, but it looked a little forced.

"Um, no, but I do have a few different kinds of soda," she offered. Raph shrugged.

"Whatever," he told her. She looked at Leo, who threw her a quick smile.

"I'll be right back," she said, and left the living room. Leo got up and walked over to Raph. He leaned down and got into his brother's face.

"Knock it off, Raphael." His voice was cold and hard – his team leader voice. "Don't make her uncomfortable."

"Get outta my face," Raph growled. He pushed Leo back just as Meli came into the room. She carried a tray with two tea cups and a glass of dark liquid. She handed the glass to Raph, who mumbled a quiet thank you.

"You're welcome," she told him, and gave Leo one of the tea cups. He thanked her and sat back down on the couch. Meli set the serving tray down on the coffee table and sat next to him. She didn't say anything for a moment, and Leo wondered if this was all a big mistake. But then she turned to Raph. "So Leo uses the katana as his ninja weapon. What do you use?" she asked, her voice gentle.

Raph shot a look at Leo before answering. "I use the sai," he told her. "Best ninja weapon ever."

Meli chuckled a little. "I'm not sure your brother would agree." She cast a smile toward Leo, who shook his head, smiling back.

"Katana is the way to go," he said. "So, Meli, how was work today?" He didn't want to give Raph too many opportunities to speak, and figured keeping Meli talking about herself was the best way to go. Besides, he didn't want to talk about Raph.

"It was okay." Her voice dropped a little, and he detected an uneasy note in it. He saw that Raph had noticed it, too. "I got an interesting package from my father." She looked up at Leo, and he saw that she was definitely more on-edge than last night, and that was saying something, considering what she'd been through the night before. "I'm not exactly sure what to do about it."

"What was in the package?" he asked. Raph was pretending not to be interested, but Leo saw him sit forward a little in the chair.

Meli looked down at the tea cup in her hands. "A scroll. Really old. He told me I need to protect it, not let anyone else have it. Which is odd, because I don't know how anyone else would know I had it, unless he'd told them." She paused and sipped her tea.

"Can I see it?" Leo asked. He wasn't sure he liked the fact that her father had tasked her with protecting it. Meli nodded.

"I'll go get it." She hurried off toward the store. Leo drank some tea and set the cup down on the serving tray.

"Bored," Raph said. Leo scowled at him. "Seriously. I'm fallin' asleep over here."

"Here it is." Meli brought the scroll in and handed it to Leo. He held it gently; the parchment was dry and a bit brittle. He tried to make sense of the words on it, but it wasn't written in any language he'd ever seen. "I don't know what language that is. My father didn't tell me anything about it, other than that I can't let anyone else have it." This seemed to trouble her, and Leo set the scroll down.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Meli. Maybe it's just important to him, something he wants to keep for himself," he said. There was a crash overhead, making her jump, and he reacted instinctively by taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. Her eyes widened a little, and he was about to withdraw his hand, when she returned the squeeze and smiled.

"Storm's moving in," she said softly. Behind her, Leo could see Raph rolling his eyes and squeezing his throat. His eyes narrowed a moment at his brother, but Raph either didn't see him, or, more likely, was just ignoring him.

_I should've brought Donny. _Donny would've talked her ears off, but he would've been respectful and nice. He was about to ask where her father had sent the scroll from when there was another crash, but this time from the front of the store. Meli frowned, pulled her hand from his, and got up to go investigate.

"Wait, Meli. Let me go look," he said. She looked over her shoulder at him, and he saw a small flash of fear in her eyes. His heart thudded hard. Something wasn't quite right, and as he moved past her, he drew one of his katana. Raph was on his feet too, his boredom temporarily forgotten as he drew his sai.

"Be careful," Meli said. She sounded shaky, and Leo nodded. He went down the short hallway that led to the half door that parted the store from the apartment and pushed it open. Raph was right behind him, and now, Leo was glad to have him along. Lightning flashed through the front windows, throwing the front room into sharp relief.

Raph nudged him. "Hole in the window," he said, his voice quiet. Leo nodded and headed over to investigate. They found a red brick laying in a shatter-pattern of glass. There was nothing written on it, no note fluttering around on the floor. Leo straightened and took another look around as lightning again filled the room. Something was definitely off, and a shiver wound its way through his body. The two brothers shared a quick look, and Leo could see that Raph was feeling it, too. He headed back toward Meli's apartment, and that was when she screamed for him.

"Meli!" Leo was instantly running for the living room, Raph right behind him. They surged into the room in time to see two men, one of whom had the scroll and the other Meli by the arm. She was fighting him, but Leo could see she was no match for him. "Let her go," he ordered. Raph moved so he was standing next to him.

"Turtles. I knew it." The man holding Meli took his other hand and put it across her throat, squeezing. Leo saw the instant terror in her eyes, and moved forward, drawing his second katana. Raph matched him stride-for-stride.

"Let her go." The words were short and bitter, and Leo had no intention of repeating them again. If the man didn't comply, he'd simply put him down for the count. Meli was still struggling, but he knew her air was running out. He and Raph closed the distance to eight feet. They could strike from here if needed.

"You heard him. Let her go," Raph said. He spoke through gritted teeth. Leo knew that Meli had become important to Raph the second they heard her scream. Though his younger brother often complained that women were a pain, and always getting into trouble, he never hesitated to help one in distress. He was very protective of April, and Leo had the feeling if things worked out with himself and Meli, Raph would become the same way with her. It was his nature, even if he denied it when asked.

"Leave the girl!" the other man said, and the one holding Meli abruptly shoved her at the turtles before turning and following his partner out the back door. Leo dropped both katana and lunged forward, catching Meli as Raph bolted past him and took off after the two men.

"Shh, Meli, it's okay," Leo soothed as she gasped for breath. "Just breathe. I've got you." He carried her over to the couch and gently set her down. He pushed some of her hair back from her face and watched with hot intensity as she struggled to recover. Gunshots echoed from outside in the alley, and he whipped his head toward the back door, his blood icing immediately. When Raph didn't appear, he knew he had a choice to make. Before, it'd never been a choice. If a brother was hurt, he was there. But now, with Meli still gasping for air and fright clinging to her like a shroud, it wasn't so clear-cut. He wanted to stay right here and chase away the fear he watched dancing in her eyes. Yet Raph was out there and in harm's way, and possibly even now wounded and vulnerable.

"Go," Meli whispered. He saw the effort that one word took, and was about to shake his head no, when she pushed at him and pointed toward the back door. He locked eyes with her, and saw her resolve. She wanted him to help his brother.

"I'll be back. I promise." He leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss across her pale cheek. Then he grabbed his katana and raced through the back door. The alley was empty. His side was beginning to ache, but he ignored it. If he pulled his stitches some, too bad. Raph was depending on him. He ran down the length of the alley and drew up short at the end. His brother was lying in the street, one hand pressed to his head. In his other hand he held the scroll.

"Raph." Leo jogged over to him and knelt beside him. "Are you okay?"

Raph looked at him like he'd grown two heads. "Are you serious? Why aren't you with Meli? Is _she_ okay?"

Leo frowned. "She wanted me to come find you." He got to his feet and helped Raph up. "Come on."

"I can't believe you _left_ her."

"I was worried about you. She was, too," Leo said. "How did you get the scroll?"

"I'm a ninja," Raph said, as if that explained it. Leo scowled but didn't say anything else. The two brothers picked up the pace until they were sprinting, and Leo barely checked his speed as he made his way back to the couch. Meli was lying very still, but he could see she was breathing, and he dropped down beside the couch and reached to touch her arm.

"Meli." She opened her eyes at his voice, and he could see her absolute relief at seeing him. Raph leaned over his shoulder, and she smiled up at him.

"Got something for ya," Raph told her. He held out the scroll, and her eyes filled with disbelief.

"You got it back," she whispered. "Thank you."

"Ninja skills," Raph said. "You're welcome."

"Meli, maybe you should go to a hospital," Leo said. He didn't have much experience with strangling, but knew it could cause breathing issues and other problems, and he wasn't about to let something else happen to her. She sat up on the couch and touched her throat. His eyes narrowed when he saw the bruise that was already forming there, and could feel tension radiating off Raph as he too noticed. "That looks bad," Leo added.

"I'm okay," she whispered. Her voice was hoarse, and he didn't buy it for a second.

"No, you need to go to a hospital," Raph said, backing him up.

"Nursing skills," Meli whispered. She tried to get up, but Leo quickly put his hands on her shoulders, mindful of his strength, and held her down. Her eyes flew to his face, and he saw a bit of anger in them.

"Meli, please. We can take you. I want to make sure you're really okay," he said. The man hadn't choked her for very long, but it had been long enough to bruise her throat and cause her to start suffocating.

"Tea." She gestured to her cup sitting on the coffee table, and Raph quickly grabbed it and handed it to her. She took a couple of sips and forced a smile for the two turtles.

"Not buyin' it," Raph said. "You're goin' to the hospital and gettin' checked out." At his adamant words, her eyes suddenly filled with tears, and Leo reached out and cracked him one across the arm. "What? I thought you wanted her to go. She's hurt," Raph growled.

"I know." Leo decided to switch tactics. He couldn't stand to see her cry. He sat next to her on the couch and reached around her with his right arm, drawing her into his side. She was tense for all of two seconds and then relaxed into him, driving sparks throughout his body. Raph growled something unintelligible and sat back down in the recliner. He reached for his soda and took a couple of long drags on it.

His phone rang and he snatched it off his belt. "What?" He listened, and then, "Oh gees, Mikey, get off the phone." He hung up and put the phone away. At Leo's questioning look, he said, "Mikey wanted to know how far you'd gotten." Leo's face brightened in embarrassment, and Raph chuckled. "Shoulda told him not far."

Meli tried to get up again, drawing Leo's attention. He held her still, though. "Whatever you need, Meli, Raph can get it for you." He knew his brother wouldn't complain now. Raph nodded.

"Whatever you need," he said.

She smiled at Raph but didn't cease trying to get up. Finally Leo let her up, his eyes watchful. She went into the kitchen; Raph leaned back in his chair so he could see her. She came out a moment later with a small ice pack. Sitting down next to Leo again, she held the ice pack to her throat.

"Good call," Raph said.

Leo put his arm around her again. He liked holding her, he realized, though he wished she wasn't injured. _The brick through the window was a distraction. They wanted her alone._ "Did you hear what the guy hanging onto Meli said?" he asked Raph. "He figured we were turtles."

"Yeah, I heard him." Raph drained the rest of his soda. "How? Did he see us come in tonight? I mean, I thought the alley was deserted." And if Raph had thought so, it probably had been. He had the best ears on the team.

Leo frowned. "I don't know. But I'm guessing they're the ones who threw the brick through the front window. They wanted us to leave her alone." At his words, Meli gave a small gasp, and he reacted by tightening his arm around her. "Sorry about that, Meli. I haven't had a chance to tell you."

"Still doesn't explain how they knew we were turtles, or that we were here. I mean, we were careful comin' in tonight." Raph's eyes drifted over to Meli, and Leo saw where his younger brother's thoughts were going. "Got anything you want to tell us?" His voice was accusatory.

Meli's eyes grew wide, and she shook her head. "I—"

"Raphael." Leo spoke sharply, interrupting Meli. "If she had set up a trap for us, why would they have hurt her and tried to steal the scroll? Why didn't they go after us instead? That doesn't make sense." His voice was cold, edged with steel. He was not about to let his brother accuse Meli of trying to do them harm. He couldn't believe such deceit was in her nature.

Raph's eyes hardened. "Well, they knew she was here with someone. Why would they assume we were turtles?"

"I don't know." Leo gave an internal sigh. This night couldn't get any worse; he'd wanted nothing more than to hang out with Meli and get to know her better. "Maybe they're associates of some of our enemies. I mean, we know the Purple Dragons are still around."

"I guess." Raph crossed his arms over his plastron. "I mean, no offense, Meli. I'm just lookin' out for our family," he added, casting a glance at her.

She nodded. "I know," she whispered. She turned to Leo. "Do you think they'll come back?" The fear in her voice drove a spike into him. He couldn't allow that to happen. If they did show up again, they might very well succeed in kidnapping her.

"I don't know," he said. He exchanged a look with Raph. "We won't let them hurt you again. I promise." He hoped she knew how deep that promise went. They weren't something he made casually or lightly. Outside, they could hear the wind coming up, and the back door slammed into its frame. Meli practically jumped into his arms. Raph got up and went to shut it.

"Rain's here," he said and sat down.

Meli leaned her head on Leo's shoulder for a moment, and he smiled. This felt so right, sitting like this with her. He just wished he'd been able to keep her from harm.

"Sensei'll be expectin' us back soon," Raph reminded him. He reached out and took the scroll off the table, examining it. "So I wonder why those goons wanted this, anyway. It doesn't make any sense." He held it upside down and sideways, and finally set it back down. "Where did your father get it, Meli?"

"I'm not sure. I'm not sure I want it here now," she said. Her fear was still very palpable, and Raph's eyes softened as he nodded.

"Well, we got your back," he told her, "if those guys show up again."

"Thank you," she said softly. Her voice was getting stronger, making Leo feel a little bit better, but he wasn't happy with the idea of the men coming back, especially if she was alone. And he didn't know what to make of the men guessing they were turtles, either. If they had been Purple Dragon associates, that would make sense. They had a long history with the rough-and-tumble gang. But what would the Dragons want with an old scroll? None of them could probably even read it. Meli shivered against him and he touched his head to hers, offering comfort. He knew it was almost time for them to leave, but he was loathe to do it. She had a gaping hole in her front window, leaving a serious security breach.

A phone rang, and Meli reached over to snatch it off the coffee table. She answered it and listened for a few moments. Her face paled and Raph leaned forward in the chair, his eyes narrowing and cooling behind his red mask. Leo felt her tension as she slowly ended the call. "Meli? Who was it?" he asked.

She turned to him, and the fear that he'd thought might be ebbing was back full-force. "I'm not sure, but he said the scroll belonged to him, and that because I refused to give it up tonight, he'd make me pay." She shuddered, and he reached for her hand, engulfing it with his larger, stronger one.

"You know I won't let that happen," he said.

"Me either," Raph added. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

Leo nodded. "Can you call him and explain things? Please?"

Raph shook his head. "No way. Your girl, your call."

Leo made a frustrated sound, but he supposed he understood. Their Sensei wasn't much for phone conversations, and he disliked having requests made of him so late at night. In fact, he was probably sleeping. "Fine." He turned to Meli. "I'm going to ask Sensei if you can come home with us. I don't want to leave you here alone."

"But will you get into trouble? I don't want that," she said, her voice soft. "I'm sure those guys won't come back tonight. After all, they got beat up by a ninja turtle." She threw a smile Raph's way, and he grinned, but Leo saw the seriousness in his eyes. He didn't believe that for a second, no more than Leo did.

"That may be, but your safety is important to me," Leo said.

"To us," Raph added.

"Right. Once I explain things, I don't think Sensei will say no," Leo said. He took out his phone and headed into the kitchen to make the call, wanting no background noise to distract him. He knew Meli would be okay with Raph; his brother, even though he'd questioned her about the assailants, had switched into protect mode, meaning he trusted her for now. As Leo dialed his Sensei's number, a feeling of dread swept over him. His ninja senses were suddenly screaming, and he ended the call and started back out to the living room.

Gunfire exploded through the storefront. Leo threw himself down as he heard Meli scream. He crawled into the living room and saw Raph leaning over top of Meli, her head tucked up against his plastron as he protected her with his shell. Leo hurried to them, still crawling. "We need to go," he said, his voice urgent. "Come on."

Raph nodded and sat up. He kept Meli close to him as they all crawled toward the back door. Leo opened it and they slipped out into the alley. No one was there, but Leo knew someone would be coming to check to see if they'd been hit. "Run," he ordered, and grabbed Meli's hand. Raph stayed behind them as they went. They hit the street hard, and Leo heard a car engine revving. He didn't dare look back.

"Faster!" Raph yelled. Meli was slowing them down; they were both extremely fast runners, as were Don and Mikey, but she didn't have any of their training or conditioning. Raph came up directly behind Meli and scooped her into his arms, taking her out of the equation. They ducked into another alley as the car behind them roared past and put its brakes on. "Get on top," Raph called, pointing up. Leo nodded and ran for the fire escape. His side was burning. This wasn't exactly taking it easy, as Sensei had warned him to. He hadn't even practiced much that morning, because Splinter didn't want his stitches coming out. But he had no choice now. He either pushed himself hard, or got hurt or worse. Raph put Meli down and she climbed up behind Leo, who went as fast as he could. The rain was pouring now, slicking the steps and hand rails, and he heard Meli gasp. Glancing back, he saw she had slipped, and Raph had quickly righted her. The two brothers locked eyes for a second, and Leo saw Raph's determination.

They finally reached the top of the building. Meli bent over, gasping for breath. Raph stood next to her, one hand on her back. "What next?" he asked, looking at Leo. "They'll be on the streets now."

"I know." Leo wanted to get them all to safety, but they'd have to stick to the rooftops, and Meli wasn't exactly a ninja. There was no way she'd be able to clear the jumps between the buildings. "Listen, Raph, go ahead of us. Stick to the roofs. I'll take Meli back down—"

"Not a chance," Raph said. "We stay together." He patted her gently on the back.

Leo lifted Meli's chin with a careful hand. She met his eyes, and he was taken aback by the fierceness in hers. "You two go," she said. "I'll stay here for a while, until they give up. I don't want you two to get hurt."

"No." Leo shook his head. "I won't leave you." He realized that probably sounded like every corny romance movie ever made, but didn't care. He meant it.

"You're stuck with us," Raph added. He walked over and peered over the side of the building. "I don't see anyone now, but don't mean they aren't there."

Meli was shivering, and Leo pulled her close to his side, wrapping his right arm around her. He had to get her off the roof and somewhere dry. Raph came back to them and watched her for a moment. "Let me carry her," he said. "I can make the jumps."

Leo turned Meli to face him. "Do you trust us?"

She immediately nodded. "Yes."

"Okay." He glanced at Raph. "You run point. I'll bring her." His voice was hard – he didn't expect Raph to argue with him.

"_You_ run point tonight. You're gonna tear your stitches out if you try to carry her." Raph looked at Meli. "No offense. Makin' jumps with any extra weight is just tougher, that's all."

She nodded. "I understand." She looked up at Leo, and he swallowed hard. Her eyes were warm and trusting, and he realized Raph was right. He could make the jumps, but it wouldn't be easy, and injured as he was, he would run the risk of dropping her. He had to concede that Raph, with his stockier build and non-injured body, was the better one for taking her.

"Okay."

Raph turned Meli to face him and slung her over his left shoulder. "Alright, fearless leader, get on with it," he said. Rain streaked down his face and soaked his red mask, and Leo turned away and ran to the other side of the roof. Seeing no one, he gestured ahead and took the jump, landing hard but safely on the other side. He looked back, saw Raph running, and then his brother and Meli were next to him. Raph threw a cocky grin at him, and Leo knew they'd be okay, as long as Meli could hang on. They moved quickly and silently across the rooftops, until they were above a familiar manhole cover. Leo climbed down the fire escape and quickly turned to help Meli down. Once Raph hit the pavement, they hurried to the manhole cover, and Leo suddenly realized he'd never actually told Meli where he lived.

"Um…" He wasn't sure how to explain. Raph already had the cover pulled back and was waiting impatiently for them to climb down. "So, we live in an old subway station. But we'll have to go through some of the sewer system to reach it," he said. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be sorry – it sounds like a cool place to live," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Come on," Raph groused.

Leo climbed down first, making sure it was safe before allowing Meli to step off the ladder. Raph came down quickly after them, and Leo clicked on a small flashlight he carried. He took Meli's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Just hang onto me," he said and started walking. Raph followed along behind. As they went, Leo tried to figure out how to explain what all had happened. He knew Meli had the scroll; she'd grabbed it before they'd crawled out of the apartment. He glanced at her – she seemed to be holding up well, considering everything that had happened to them. _Maybe Sensei will know what the scroll is, or what it says._ He knew his Master well enough to know he wouldn't turn Meli away, no more than he'd been able to turn April away seven years before.

And as Meli clung to his hand and followed his lead, absolutely trusting in him to take care of her, he knew that no matter what, he would protect her from the men who wanted to harm her.


	4. Family

I do not own any turtles or rats. So there.

Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews. They are appreciated, and help me see that, yes, someone else is enjoying this. I know I am.

STRONGER

CHAPTER FOUR: Family

Meli's throat ached, and the damp air in the sewer system was making it difficult to draw a breath. She touched her throat, pain shooting through her. _He hurt me more than I'd thought_, she mused. She felt a squeeze on her left hand, and saw Leo looking at her, worry evident in his bright blue eyes. "I'm okay," she whispered. She noticed he was holding his left side, and any thoughts of her own injury fled. "But you're not. Let me see."

"No, I'm all right," he told her. "We're not far out now, and Donny can check the stitches then." He gave her a warm smile. "You're being a real trooper with this," he said, gesturing to the system they were currently traversing.

"I think it's cool you live in an old subway station. I don't mind walking through here to get there," she said, putting as much enthusiasm as she could into the words.

On her other side, Raph snorted. "Yeah, 'cause sluggin' through a sewer tunnel is great fun."

"Raph." Leo's voice was short. "Be nice."

Raph muttered something unbecoming beneath his breath, making Meli smile. She enjoyed the bickering between the two brothers. It was normal. _I feel like my life is anything _but_ normal now._ It wasn't just the addition of the two big ninja turtles escorting her down sewer tunnels, either. That, she found, she was already accustomed to. No, it was more the weird scroll her father had sent her with instructions to protect it, the men who'd broken into her home and tried to kidnap said scroll and her, and the fact that her storefront was now a huge mess of broken glass and destroyed merchandise. _I wonder if my insurance policy covers drive-byes._ Tears sprang into her eyes then, and she furiously blinked to get rid of them. She wouldn't cry now.

"You know, we gotta get her past Donnie and Mikey," Raph said a few moments later. "That ain't gonna be easy."

Leo sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"They can't be that bad," Meli said, looking from one brother to another.

Raph grunted. "Well, let's see. Donnie will talk you to death over his lab and techie stuff, and Mikey is impossible."

"He's not impossible," Leo quickly said. "He's…um…excitable."

"Excitable?" Meli said.

"He's like a kid on Christmas morning, only _all_ the time," Raph told her. "He loves new things and people, and since you're the first new person since April, he's gonna be all over ya."

"April?" Meli said, looking up at Leo. She hadn't heard them mention her before, but she wasn't naïve enough to think she was the first human they'd ever had contact with, either.

"April O'Neil. We met her when she and her father were kidnapped by the Kraangs, a race of aliens from another dimension. Donnie rescued her when the kidnapping happened, and we all helped rescue her father, Kirby, after that," Leo said. "She's a year older than us."

"How old are you guys? I mean, if you don't mind me asking," Meli said.

"We're twenty-two," Leo said. "Fifteen when we met April."

"Wow, so you've known her a long time." Meli thought about this. She wondered if she'd get to meet April, and what she was like. It was pretty obvious from both boys' tones that she meant a great deal to them.

"So how old are you?" Raph asked, earning him a smack on the shell from Leo. "What? She asked _us_!"

"It's okay," Meli assured Leo. "You guys are actually older than me. I'm twenty-one."

"Well, at least you're legal," Raph said. Leo made a choking sound, and Raph ducked out of the way of another smack. Meli was sure her face was burning, and was glad for the lack of strong light in the tunnel. She squeezed Leo's hand, hoping he wasn't too embarrassed by his brother.

"Raph—" Leo's tone was a growl.

"Hey, I'm just sayin,'" his younger brother said. He was smart enough not to get within range of Leo, though, Meli noticed. She missed a step, her foot sliding in the little bit of water that slicked the floor. Leo instantly steadied her, and she felt Raph touch her right arm, lending some support. They walked for another ten minutes or so, and then Leo stopped.

"Raph, go ahead and let everyone know we're coming," he said.

"Oh, sure_, I_ have to deal with Don and Mike," he griped. "She's _your_ girlfriend - why don't _you_ go on ahead, and I'll keep Meli company the rest of the way," he added.

"Just do it," Leo told him, sighing. "And don't get Mikey all wound up. Be calm."

"Be calm, he says. Yeah, 'cause that's gonna work." Raph snorted and started walking away, the small flashlight he carried lighting his path. He glanced over his shoulder. "Be careful."

"We will." Leo watched him go, then looked down at Meli. "You holding up okay?" he asked, his voice soft. He reached out and touched her cheek, and she blushed, loving the feel of his strong hand against her skin.

"I'm okay," she said, but wasn't sure how true that would be in another fifteen minutes. Her throat was extremely dry, and she was exhausted. Even though Raph had carried her across the rooftops, the stress of holding on and wondering if he'd misjudge a step and drop them both into an alley had made her head and body ache with tension. Leo frowned.

"No, you're not." He glanced down the tunnel and then looked back down at her. "It's not much further. I can carry you."

She shook her head. "You're hurt, too, and probably worse than me. I'm okay to walk." She started forward, and he moved along with her, reaching for her hand again. The tunnel was drying out now, and the air smelled cleaner. She took a deep breath and coughed, making Leo stop again, but she quickly assured him, "I'm fine, really. My throat is just sore."

"I still think-" he broke off as a shout echoed down the tunnel. He immediately spun her, placing her squarely behind him. She tried to peek around him, but he moved with her. "Stay behind me," he said.

"But what is it?" she asked. It couldn't be anything too bad - Raph had gone this way not more than ten minutes ago, and she was pretty sure nothing dangerous could've gotten by him.

"My youngest brothers." Leo took a deep breath. He reached back and withdrew his katana.

"Really? Weapons?" Meli couldn't believe his other two brothers were that overzealous.

"You'll see," Leo told her. He got set, the katana held out in front of himself in a defensive pose. Meli managed to get a glimpse around his right side, and saw another turtle enter the light of Leo's flashlight. He wore an orange mask, and was considerably shorter and less bulky than his two oldest brothers."Mikey, stop," Leo warned.

"Mikey! Get back here!" Raph was running hard after him, but wasn't able to reach him. Meli saw another turtle, this one in a purple mask, running next to Raph. She could tell he was the tallest and most slender of the brothers.

"Meli!" Mikey yelled and slid to a halt just shy of Leo's katana. He was grinning, but the grin fell away when Raph grabbed him in a headlock. "Ow!"

"What did I say? I said not to get excited!" Raph said. He pulled Mikey backward, away from Leo. The turtle in purple gave Raph a shove. "Knock it off, Donnie!" Raph growled. "You want some of this?"

"Let him go, Raph. He just wants to say hi," Donnie said. He turned and walked over to Leo. "I'm guessing she's standing behind you? And I think you can put the katana away."

"Not yet." Leo's eyes were trained on his other two brothers.

Meli stepped out from behind him, and Donnie grinned at her, revealing a gap in his teeth that she found instantly endearing. "Hi," she said. "I'm Melisande Tomkins. You can call me Meli, if you want." She held out her right hand, and Donnie shook it, his grip warm and strong.

"I'm Donatello, or Donnie, if you like," he said. "Nice to meet you. You did a great job stitching up Leo last night."

"Thanks," she said. She would've said more, but Leo grabbed her arm and again put her behind him. Mikey had succeeded in pulling out of the headlock, and was headed for his oldest brother again.

"Mikey, stop," Leo told him. Meli peeked out around him.

"Aw, c'mon, Leo, I just wanna meet her," Mikey said, a plaintive note in his young voice. "Donnie got to!"

"Yeah, but Donnie didn't maul her," Leo pointed out. "She's injured, Mikey, and I don't want you to hurt her more than she is." He still held his katana, but Meli could see his tension dropping. "Promise me you'll be careful with her."

Mikey nodded. "I promise, I promise."

Leo sheathed his weapons and stepped aside, letting Meli get her first up-close look at the youngest turtle. He flashed a fetching grin at her, and she smiled back. "I'm Meli. It's nice to meet you," she said.

Mikey walked up, one eye on Leo, who finally seemed to concede that he'd be gentle, and put his hand out. "I'm Michelangelo, but you can call me Mikey," the turtle in orange said. When Meli reached for his hand, he drew her into a bear hug instead, and she swore her ribs shifted. But she was loathe to say anything - she could tell he took enough criticism from his two oldest brothers, and didn't want to get him into more trouble. When Leo cleared his throat, Mikey let go of her and smiled. "It's so awesome to meet you, Mel." He frowned a second later. "But Leo said you're hurt? What happened?"

"We'll explain when we get to the lair," Leo said. He reached out and put a protective arm around Meli, who welcomed it, as her exhaustion was really starting to kick in. "She needs to rest and get something to drink."

Raph walked over and grabbed Mikey by the shell. "C'mon, Mike. Let's go." Mikey cast a glance at Meli, but let his older brother lead him off. Donnie fell into step with the other two. They were quiet, and Meli hoped she wasn't going to be intruding too much on them. She felt Leo flinch a little, and decided she'd make sure he got his stitches looked at right away once they reached their home.

"Does Sensei know she's coming?" Leo asked.

"Yeah. Raph managed to get it out before Mikey took off running," Donnie said. "Raph said something bad had happened at Meli's, and she needed to stay with us tonight."

"Was he okay with that?" Leo asked.

"I think so," Donnie said. "You know he won't turn her away."

"I know." Leo squeezed Meli's hand. "You'll like Splinter, our Sensei and father."

"I'm sure I will. I just hope he likes me," she said, feeling very self-conscious now. What if he didn't? What if he thought she was a pain, and not worth his sons' time?

"He will," Leo assured her. They turned left into a shorter tunnel, and Meli could see an old subway turnstile. She watched as Raph and Mikey vaulted over it with ease. Once they reached it, Donnie did the same and turned to her.

"Need help?" he asked, holding out his hand.

"I think I got this," she said, smiling. "But thanks." He nodded and stepped back. She climbed over carefully, and turned to Leo. "Be careful with your side," she said. He nodded and eased over, wincing with pain. Donnie stepped closer and looked at his left side.

"Those stitches need some work," Donnie said, frowning. "I can tighten them up. Come on. They're starting to weep."

"I want to get Meli settled first," Leo said, but she shook her head.

"I'm fine for now. Let Donnie fix you up," she encouraged. He looked ready to argue, but another sharp wince crossed his face, and he finally nodded.

"Raph!" he called out. Mikey and Raph, who had gone down the stairs and into a pit of sorts, where a TV resided over a motley collection of couches and chairs, came rushing back, Raph making sure to hold his youngest brother at bay. "Donnie's going to fix my stitches. Can you make Meli comfortable and watch over her?"

"Yeah," Raph said. "Mikey, knock it off!" Mikey was trying to get past him and closer to Meli, but it wasn't going to happen. Even Meli could see that. "Come on," Raph told her, holding out his hand. She took it, again grateful for the support. He led her toward the left, with Mikey trailing along behind. "So this is the kitchen," Raph said. He went to the fridge and opened up the door. "You probably want somethin' cold, huh?"

"Do you have beer?" she asked. He threw her a surprised look, and she smiled at him. He snorted and held out a Coke instead.

"I'm thinkin' this is more you," he told her. She nodded and took the bottle, opening it and swallowing some of the icy liquid. It burned some, but it wasn't a bad burn, and she was so very thirsty. Raph opened one for himself and took a long pull on it.

"I want one," Mikey said.

Raph shut the fridge. "You don't need one. All you did tonight was hang out and play HALO. And I bet you drank half the supply, anyway."

Mikey scowled. "Did not. Besides, HALO is very intense," he argued. "I worked up a sweat!"

Meli listened to them bicker back and forth, and a wave of dizziness passed over her. She set her bottle down on the table and closed her eyes. The boys' voices seemed to come from far away, and she felt herself start to buckle. She made an attempt to grab the back of a chair, but missed.

"Meli!" Raph lunged for her and caught her, holding her up with his arm around her waist. She leaned on him for a moment and tried to get her bearings back. "You need to sit," he said, and eased her into a chair Mikey had quickly pulled out. She put her head on the table and closed her eyes, another dizzy spell washing over her and making everything seem fuzzy and distorted. She heard the two boys talking, but couldn't focus on anything they said, and decided it wasn't important. She just wanted to rest.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been out, but someone was shaking her shoulder, so she pushed herself upright and forced her eyes open. And found herself face-to-face with an enormous black and white rat. A scream welled up from deep within, but she remembered just in time that Leo had said their Sensei was a mutated rat, and squashed the sound. The rat looked at her, his eyes calm and serene, and said, "I am Splinter, the turtles' father and ninjutsu Master. Raphael has told me of your adventures tonight. You are a very brave young woman."

"Thank you," she whispered. "I'm Meli. It's nice to meet you." Her vision was swimming again, and she closed her eyes, unable to focus. She heard Splinter tell Raph to take her into the living room, and then she was being lifted, very carefully, and carried off. She relaxed into Raph's hold, already knowing he was more than capable of taking her weight.

"Here ya go, Meli," Raph said, and she opened her eyes to find he'd placed her gently down on a long couch. She smiled at him.

"Thank you, Raph," she whispered. Mikey draped a warm fuzzy blanket over her, and she saw the concern in his light blue eyes. She wanted to reassure them both that she was fine, but she wasn't feeling so fine right then. Her head ached and her throat throbbed.

"You're welcome," Raph said. "Take it easy for now and just rest. Mikey and I'll be right here." To prove his point, he sat in an old easy chair that was close to the end of the couch, and Mikey plopped down in a bean bag chair near her head that had seen better days. She nodded, closed her eyes, and let the exhaustion take over her body.

When she awoke a few hours later, neither turtle was in sight, and a small tide of panic went through her. She knew the boys had to be somewhere, as this was their home, but she hadn't been alone since Leo and Raph had shown up earlier in the night at her apartment, and the feeling was unnerving. She pushed the blankets back and sat up. A sharp pain passed through her head, making her cringe. Her throat was incredibly dry again, so she got up and walked unsteadily back into the kitchen. Her Coke was still on the table, and although warm now, was enough to cure the dryness.

_I wonder where everyone is._ She remembered meeting Splinter, and fervently hoped that he hadn't been put off by her weakness. Not that she had been able to help it, but still. She wanted the turtles' father to like her. _And is Leo okay? Maybe he's hurt worse than he was letting on._ The thought made her chest hurt, and she decided to go looking for him. She left the kitchen and headed toward another room, where she saw an occasional burst of light. Donnie was working over something on a table, and she saw that he was welding. She didn't want to startle him, so she backed out of the room and headed off another way.

"Mel!"

She started to turn, only to get hit by something much stronger than her. She was nearly knocked off her feet, but a pair of arms wrapped around her and kept her upright. Finding herself eye-to-eye with the youngest turtle, she tried to smile but couldn't quite force it. "Hi," she said.

"Hi. We wondered where you'd gone," he said. "I found her!" he yelled over his shoulder. Donnie stepped out of his lab and walked over, while Raph ran toward them from the living area. Mikey gave her another tight squeeze, and she couldn't breathe for that few seconds.

"Mikey, let up already," Raph commanded as he drew up to them. He looked her over, and frowned. "You shouldn't be up yet, Meli. You look terrible."

"Raph!" Donnie slapped a hand to his forehead and grimaced. "I'm sorry, Meli. Leo and I have tried to teach him tact, but he's a bad student."

"It's okay. Is Leo all right? Where is he?" she asked, all at once needing to be with him. It wasn't that his brothers weren't great, because she thought they were, but she wanted to see Leo for herself and make sure everything was okay with him. And, if she could be totally honest with herself, she simply needed the safety and strength he exuded.

"He's fine. I gave him some pretty strong pain medication, and he's in his room sleeping," Donnie said. "His stitches got pulled out some, but I put him back together."

"Thank you," she said. Knowing that the turtle in blue was indeed okay, she gave in to her own weariness again, and said, "I think I'll go back to bed, too." Her body seemed to protest suddenly, and she said, a shy smile on her face, "May I use your bathroom first, though?"

"Of course. I can show you," Donnie said, and held out his arm to her. She took it, and followed him to a nice large restroom. "I'll wait here, if you want," he offered. "You probably shouldn't be walking around on your own. You're pretty unsteady on your feet."

"Thank you," she said, and went in to take care of her body's needs. A look in the big mirror showed her tiredness, and she frowned at her reflection. Couldn't she ever look halfway decent anymore? _I suppose I did when Leo and Raph first showed up._ That seemed like such a long time ago. She thought back to everything that had happened. _I was so scared when those men busted into my apartment, but I knew Leo wouldn't let anything happen to me. _And Raph had been protective, too. _He chased those men down, and got the scroll back. He didn't even hesitate to help. _She touched her cheek, thinking of how gentle Leo's lips had been against it, when he'd promised he'd come right back after finding his brother. And then they'd taken her with them after the drive-by, and kept her safe as they leapt from building to building.

She shook herself out of her reverie and left the bathroom. Donnie, Mikey, and Raph were all waiting for her, looking worried, and she made herself smile brightly for them. She couldn't believe how they'd just taken her in, accepted her. _They barely know me, yet they're trusting that I'm not some psycho who wants to hurt them. They're protecting me._ And just like that, the floodgates opened as her overwhelmed emotions caught up with her. A small sob shook from her chest, and Raph instantly reached for her, tucking her in tight against his plastron. She knew he probably wasn't comfortable with crying, yet he murmured quietly to her, telling her she was okay, that she was safe.

"Donnie, go get Leo up," he instructed. Meli tried to protest, but Raph didn't listen to her. Donnie hurried off, and Raph picked her up and carried her over to the couch she'd been sleeping on earlier. He set her down, and knelt next to the couch. "It's okay," he said. She nodded, trying to get her tears under control, but they only seemed to fall faster and harder.

"Meli." And then Leo was there, sitting on the couch next to her, pulling her into his lap. He wrapped his strong arms around her and she laid her head on his plastron, listening to his heartbeats. "Shh, it's all right," he whispered. "I'm here. You're okay. I promise." She nodded, drawing a deep, shuddering breath. She didn't want to be this way. She wanted to show them she was tough, that she could take the problems. But everything seemed to be too much right then for her to make sense of. The scroll, the men, the drive-by. Sobs shook her slender frame, and Leo's arms tightened around her protectively as he continued to minister gentle words into her ears.

She wasn't sure how long it took for him to calm her, but when she could finally manage to think straight again, to breathe without crying, she sat up and found his brothers and father gathered in the living room with them. They all watched her, with varying degrees of concern. She wiped her eyes, Leo loosening his hold on her. She wondered if she should feel embarrassed, but somehow, their silent support made her feel even more welcome, as though she'd already been accepted into their tight-knit little family. It was a wonderful feeling.


	5. Prophecy

I do not own the Turtles, or Splinter. Bummer.

Wow, thank you for all the kind words and favorites and follows. They truly make my day :-)

STRONGER

CHAPTER FIVE: Prophecy

Meli handed Splinter the scroll she had so carefully carried from her apartment hours ago. He took it and unrolled it, looking down the length of the old paper. His dark eyes widened as he got to the bottom of it, and Meli bit the inside of her cheek. "Can you read it?" she asked. Leo, sitting just to her left on the couch, squeezed her hand. Mikey sat on her other side, having grabbed the spot when Raph had gotten up for something to eat. Now Raph sat in the old bean bag chair, occasionally glowering at his youngest brother. Don sat on the arm of the couch next to Mikey. Meli wondered if he'd chosen it as a strategic spot between Raph and the youngest turtle.

Splinter rubbed a hand over his face, and settled his eyes on Meli. She almost flinched from the intensity of his gaze. "I cannot read the entirety of it, no, but I do know what this is." He paused. All of them were hanging on his words; Meli squeezed Leo's hand, glad for his nearness and constant support. They'd fallen asleep on the couch together after her break down, and he hadn't left her side since then, even after Donnie told him he should go lie down and rest.

"So what is it?" Raph asked.

"It's a prophecy." Splinter read down the scroll again. "It's from an ancient race of people who died out several hundred years ago." He looked at Meli again, and a shiver touched her between the shoulder blades. "Do you know where your father got this, Meli?"

"I don't." She stared at her left hand, joined with Leo's. "I'm not sure where he is right now, either." Mikey gave her right arm a pat, and she smiled at him, grateful for all of their support. "Is the prophecy bad?" she asked, meeting the ninjutsu master's dark brown eyes again.

"It is not good," Splinter said. "If this were to be fulfilled, it would bring a terrible evil down upon the earth."

"Terrible? Like how terrible?" Mikey asked, his eyes wide.

Splinter folded the scroll and crossed his arms over his chest. "Worse than we could imagine. It is a supernatural force that would wreck the planet and slaughter mankind."

"So all _mutants _would be safe, though," Raph said. This drew him glares from his other brothers and a crack from Splinter's staff across his back. "Ouch, Sensei! I'm just sayin', that's all." He looked up at Meli. "You know I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"I know." Since she'd met him the night before, and he'd carried her across the rooftops to safety, Raph had stuck close to her, nearly as close as Leo. She wasn't used to so much attention; she had only a handful of friends, none of whom were very close, and her only two relatives that she had any contact with were her father and her Uncle Rafe, her mother's younger brother. This was a very new, and special, experience for her. She focused on Splinter again. "Do you think there's anyone who could read the whole thing?"

"There may be," he said. "If the scroll were to be read, in its entirety, by someone who knew the old language, the prophecy could be brought to life, and along with it, the destruction of mankind." His voice was solemn with an underlay of steel. "These men who tried to kidnap you were also after the scroll?"

"Yes," Meli said. Another shiver touched her spine. _Oh Dad, what have you gotten into this time?_ Her father had a propensity for getting into sticky situations, and although he got himself out, she often wondered when one would be too much for him to take on alone. Leo was watching her with concern, and she cleared her throat. "That's all it would take, then, to make the prophecy fulfill itself? Just reading it correctly?"

"It seems like someone back when it was written would've done it, then," Donnie said.

"The scroll was stolen, and believed to be lost forever," Splinter said. He looked at each of them in turn, his gaze severe. "It does require correct reading, but more than that, it requires a vessel for the supernatural powers. A _woman_ vessel." His eyes, penetrating and warm, landed on Meli, and a violent shudder struck her, causing Leo to wrap his arm around her and pull her tight to his side.

"So those guys who tried to take Meli..." Raph's voice trailed off, and he looked up at her, his emerald eyes widening with the same horror she had burgeoning through her.

"What? What does that mean?" Mikey asked, looking from Raph to Meli and then at Leo, whose face had gone hard and stony.

"It means, Mikey, that those guys, if they knew how to read the scroll, could've used Meli to channel the evil supernatural power," Don said. He put his hand on his younger brother's shoulder.

"No way! We wouldn't let that happen!" Mikey said. He reached out and took Meli's right hand, holding it within both his larger ones. "You know that, right? We won't let any bad guys do that to you!" His voice was adamant and had risen several levels in anxiety.

"I know," Meli whispered. Her throat was tight, and a thread of fear wound its way through her body. Leo's grip around her had tightened enough to where she was uncomfortable, but couldn't bring herself to say anything to him. "Master Splinter, can any woman be used as the vessel?"

"No. It has to be a woman with a blooded connection to the scroll," Splinter said. He leaned toward her. "Why would your father be so interested in it?"

"I don't know." It would certainly make things easier if she did. _I can't even call him, since he wrecked his last phone and hasn't bothered to get another one yet._ Her father was dear to her heart, but his impetuousness drove her crazy sometimes. "How would I know if I was connected to it, anyway? My last name is English," she added.

"What is your last name?" Splinter asked.

"Tomkins," she said. Splinter got to his feet, leaning heavily on the walking stick he carried.

"I will look into this matter further," he said. "Until we know for certain if you have a connection, I would prefer you to stay here with us, so we may watch over you." Meli could tell from his tone that it wasn't a request: he fully expected her to stay here in the subway station.

"Yeah, you can stay in my room!" Mikey said, his effervescent spirit rising above the dismay that filled the room. "We can stay up late, play video games—ow!" Raph had reached out and smashed his fist down on Mikey's toes.

"Shut up," Raph growled. "This is serious."

"I _was_ being serious, _hello_. She has to sleep somewhere, right?" Mikey argued, already forgetting about his foot. "Right?"

"Thank you, Mikey, but I have to go back to the Trove," Meli said, giving him a quick smile. "I have to see what damage they did and call my insurance company." Not that she was looking forward to doing either of those things; staying here and playing video games with Mikey sounded like a much better option, but she couldn't shirk her responsibilities.

"You can't," Leo said. He'd been quiet through the conversation, his actions and face expressions giving away his thoughts and emotions. His voice was hard and unyielding. "We can't go out during the day, and I'm not letting you go back there alone."

"I have to," she said, pulling back so that he let go of her. His eyes narrowed, temper brewing in their blue depths. "Leo, I know you'll worry, but this has to be done, and you know that," she said. She spoke softly; she understood where he was coming from, and appreciated his desire to protect her, but the store wasn't going to fix itself. "I have a cell, so I can give you updates so you know I'm okay."

"Anyone could walk in there, what with the front window busted out," he said. "They could grab you before you had time to call me." His displeasure with her arguing was very apparent, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She glanced around at the other turtles; Splinter had gone off by himself to do his research on the scroll, but she had to have a comrade here among the brothers, right?

"Raph, you understand, don't you?" she asked.

He crossed his arms over his plastron and pinned her with a glare. "I'm with Leo on this one."

"That's new," Donnie said. Meli looked over at him, and he quickly shook his head. "Don't ask. I'm with Leo, too."

She turned her gaze on Mikey, who was fiddling with the TV remote, and not paying attention to the conversation. "Mikey, you'll back me on this, right? I have to go home to do damage control before something worse happens." She knew her voice sounded pleading, but she wasn't above using such techniques if she had to. Mikey slowly brought his eyes up to meet hers.

"No way, Mel. Splinter said you had to stay here. And Leo says so, too, so you have to," the youngest turtle said.

She sighed and put her head in her hands. This wasn't going to be easy, and she knew most likely she'd end up in a fight with Leo. But this was part of being a business owner. She raised her head. "Look, this isn't something I want to do, but it has to be done, okay? If I don't let the insurance company know about the damage, they won't pay anything. And if they don't pay anything, bye bye Trove." She turned her head to meet Leo's eyes. She saw them soften. "I can't let that happen. It's been my home ever since I was old enough to take it over, and it's the only connection I have to Dad when he's out gallivanting." She reached out and took Leo's hands. "I know you're worried, and I am too. In fact, I'm scared. But I can't let the fear get the best of me."

"Oh, dude, he's weakening," Mikey stage-whispered to Don and Raph. "I can't believe it!"

Leo shot his brother a stern look. "I'm not weakening, Mikey, but she is right. I can't let the Trove go under, either. "

"So you'll let me go?" Meli asked.

"I don't suppose you can go tonight," he said. There was a hopeful tone in his voice that she hated to squash, but she had to.

"No. The insurance company is only open from nine to five. Sorry." And she really was. She didn't like the idea of going home when it was trashed and being there all alone. Leo sighed and got to his feet.

"Donnie, get Meli one of the emergency buttons," he said. Donny nodded and hurried off. Leo held his hands out to Meli and helped her up. "I don't like this," he told her. "I want you to call at least once every half-hour, okay? I know that seems excessive, but those guys could be hanging around, waiting for you to come back."

She shivered. "Okay." Donnie walked up and handed her a small red knob.

"Don't squeeze it too hard," he told her. "It's an emergency tracking device. I built one for April a couple of years ago, and now we all use one if we're going to be apart from the others on patrol." He turned the knob over. "Just press this indentation right here, and we'll not only know you need us, but we can track you to your exact location."

"Wow." Meli pocketed the small device and impulsively gave him a hug. "That's incredible tech, Donnie. Thank you."

He smiled. "You're welcome. Oh, let me see your cell. I'll put all of our numbers in." Meli pulled it from her pocket and handed it to him.

"How long will the insurance thing take?" Leo asked.

"Um, maybe a couple of hours. But I also want to get the place cleaned up, too," she said. Leo shook his head.

"Don't clean up. I can come over tonight and help you with that," he said. He held out his hand to her, and she stepped close to his side.

"Bye, guys," she said. She would miss them while she was gone; they had become the support system she'd never had. But even more than that, they were becoming close friends, and maybe even brothers. "Raph, Don, don't pick on Mikey too much, okay? And Mikey, don't irritate them all the time," she added, smiling.

"You check in like Leo says, or we'll be breakin' down your door," Raph said. He smiled while saying it, but she didn't miss the spark of serious intent in his eyes. She nodded.

"I promise, Raph. Every half-hour," she said.

"Here's your phone," Donnie said. "All of our numbers are in it now. Be careful. Make sure you're watching your surroundings."

"I will."

"Can we order pizza tonight?" Mikey asked, his blue eyes wide.

"What?" Raph reached to crack him one, but Mikey darted out of range.

"I mean, we can all go help Mel clean up, and then get pizza." Mikey looked at her, and she giggled a little.

"That's fine with me, but you don't have to come help. I can bring pizza with me the next time I come," she told him.

"Nah, he's right. We can come help," Raph said. "We'll see you soon. And don't forget: every half-hour."

She promised and let Leo lead her toward the old turnstile. Looking back over her shoulder, she was saddened that she couldn't stay with them. "You'll be back soon," Leo said softly. "In fact, you'll be spending the nights here until we figure out what to do about the scroll." She was about to say something when Splinter called to them.

"Yes, Sensei?" Leo asked, walking Meli over to him.

Splinter's dark eyes sparked with anger. "Did you not understand what I said? It is not safe for her to go home." His disapproval was crackling in his voice, and Leo lowered his head.

"Master, I'm sorry, but it's not up to you or the guys. I have to go call my insurance company and let them know what happened. If I don't, they won't send me money to cover the damages, and I'll end up losing the Trove." She met Splinter's hard eyes. "I have to do this."

The big rat stared at her and she at him, not wanting to back down, and instinctively knowing that she couldn't. She had to show him that she was capable of taking care of herself. After all, for the last three years, ever since she'd turned eighteen, she'd been on her own.

"Donny gave her an emergency button," Leo said quietly. He too stared at Splinter. "I hate to let her go, Sensei, but she has a valid point. We can't allow her to lose her home and her business." His voice was soft, but Meli knew iron ran through it. She reached out and wrapped her arm around his, silently thanking him for his show of support.

Splinter sighed. The other turtles had gathered behind him, waiting to see what his verdict would be. Meli figured if he said no, she'd have to find a way to sneak out. The Trove was important to her, and to her father. No one was going to take it from her. "I see you are determined to go, my dear. Donnie has shown you how to use the button?" She nodded. "I would like you to check in-"

"Already covered, Sensei. Every half-hour," Raph said. He winked at her.

"You may go, but please, be very careful. I am looking into the history of the scroll more, to try and determine if you are any way connected to it. If so..." He left off, and a tremor of unease slithered through her. "You will have to stay here with us until we can determine what to do."

"Okay," she said, nodding. This seemed reasonable, and if she _was_ connected to the scroll, she'd want to be very close to Leo and the others. _Who am I kidding, I want to be close to him _all _the time, anyway._ A blush bloomed across her cheeks and she turned away, trying to hide it. Leo took her hand and together they walked back over to the turnstile. Leo vaulted over it, earning him a frown from her. "Be careful with your stitches," she scolded. "Donnie or I will have to patch you back up if you tear them."

He smiled and held his hand out for her to take once she'd climbed over. "Don't worry. I'm tough."

"Well, be that as it may, I don't want you hurting yourself unnecessarily. Or at all, if you can help it," she told him.

He smiled. "Being a ninja? Highly doubtful." He squeezed her hand. "I'm taking you to the manhole cover Raph and I used when we first came over last night. It's only a block from your place. You'll still have to be very careful, though," he warned. "And call me the second you get to the Trove."

"Okay," she said. They fell silent then, each delving into their own thoughts. Meli thought about what she had to face, and inwardly sighed. This was when it would be nice to have her father home, or even her Uncle Rafe. _But not at the same time_. They'd never gotten along. _Maybe Uncle Rafe would know where Dad was, though. I wish he'd get a new phone!_ But a phone would be the last thing on her father's mind. He was probably thinking three countries ahead of where he was.

"Are you all right?" Leo asked. His voice was soft.

"Yeah. I'm just really not looking forward to dealing with the insurance company. I'm not sure they cover drive-bys," she said, trying to be funny. It failed though, and he stopped her, turning her to face him.

"Meli, listen. Maybe I should come with you. If I can get up on the roofs, no one will see me, and I'll be good once we get to the Trove," he said. He reached up and pushed a lock of hair back behind her ear.

"No. It's too dangerous. I'll be fine, really."

"Too dangerous for me, yet you think it's okay for you to go about with those psychos still out there." His voice was filled with frustration, and he put his hands on her shoulders. "If something happened to you, I'm not sure what I would do." His eyes searched hers, and she leaned into him, resting her head on his plastron for a few moments.

"I'd rather not go around by myself, Leo, but I'm not about to risk having you get seen and then hurt by some stupid scared person," she said. "It won't take that long, and I have the emergency button, and my phone. You just have to trust that it'll be okay." She spoke gently, knowing that this wasn't easy for him. He was the leader, the protector. And she knew that she was someone he definitely wanted to protect. "Please? I can do this."

He nodded. "I have no doubt. It's not you I have the issue with." He tugged on her hand and they started walking again. "Promise me you won't take any unnecessary risks. Don't cross through any alleys, just stick to the streets."

"I will." She'd say whatever she thought he needed to hear so he could relax. The walk didn't seem to take very long, and all too soon they were standing at the ladder that led back to the surface, and to life in the sun. She wasn't sure what to say; it wasn't like this was goodbye forever or anything. They wouldn't even be apart for that long. "I'll call as soon as I get to the Trove," she said.

"Good. And I'm waiting right here until I hear from you, so I know you got there safely," he said. He leaned toward her and brushed his lips across her forehead. "Be careful. If you see anyone suspicious, run. Don't wait to talk to them. And press that button." He pulled her into a hug, and for that moment she allowed herself to revel in his strength. He could crush her with his arms if he wanted; instead, he only desired to keep her safe.

"I'll see you soon," she said, and stretched to kiss his cheek. He smiled, and she turned away, realizing that if she didn't get moving right then, she wouldn't at all. She began climbing the ladder, and glanced down to see him watching her carefully, ready to assist her should she need it. When she got to the top, she pushed against the heavy metal cover, putting a lot into it. It didn't budge.

"Need help?" Leo called up.

"Please. I can't move the cover," she said. He climbed up and she made room for him so he could lift the cover. He checked the area around the hole, making sure it was safe for her to climb out, then helped her do it.

"Be careful, Meli," he said one last time, and then settled the cover back into place. Meli straightened and hurried to the sidewalk, glancing around. She saw no one, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was stressful, doing things like that, but she knew she wouldn't have it any other way. She got to the Trove quickly, constantly taking in her surroundings, as Donnie had told her to. This section of town wasn't particularly busy anyway, and less so today. When she walked up to the front door of her beloved store, she stopped and stared. The beautiful plate glass window her father had installed years ago was gone, fragmented into a million pieces by gunfire. She went into the store and pulled out her cell, selecting Leo's number. He picked up first ring. "Hi."

"Hey, I'm here," she said. "No problems."

"Good." Relief weighed strong in Leo's voice. "I'm headed home, then. When you're done, I can come get you, if you want."

She knew he wouldn't take no for an answer, and she didn't want to be alone all afternoon. "Sounds good. I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Meli."

She disconnnected and took a look around, sighing. The strafing run on the front window had not only knocked out the glass, but had reached inward, wrecking two smaller shelves of books and peppering several others with shot. Her old couch she kept for people to sit on and enjoy browsing was a total loss. _Who would do this? Who are these crazies after the scroll?_ She headed back into her apartment and sat down to call the insurance company. At least no one had looted the place, so that was something. She got up, unable to sit, and went back out front, checking the other shelves as she waited for the company to pick up.

Twenty minutes and several internal sighs later, she was off the phone. She went to her bedroom to grab the charger and carried it back out. Her insurance company hadn't been happy to hear about what had happened, but they'd assured her it would be taken care of. She plugged her phone in and called Leo.

"Hi. You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. The store's not, but my insurance company said they'll fix it," she said. "Um, it didn't take as long as I'd thought it would. Do you want me to hang here for awhile?"

"No. I'll come get you. Meet me at the cover in about ten minutes, okay? Be careful," he said.

"Make it a half-hour? I need a shower," she said. _And clean clothes._

"Okay."

She left the phone and trudged back to her room, gathering up clean clothes before heading to the shower. Shrugging out of her jeans, she took the emergency button out and put it on the counter near her sink. It was within easy reach of her should she need it. Turning the shower on, she stepped beneath the hot water and closed her eyes. Oh, yes, she had needed this. She didn't forget about her timeline, though. Leo would expect her in less than thirty minutes, or she'd have an angry ninja turtle banging on her back door. Five minutes later she stepped out, toweled off, and got dressed, tucking the button back into her front jeans pocket. As she moved to open the door, she froze. It sounded like someone was right outside.

She put her ear to the door and strained to listen. All was quiet, but she wasn't about to go out and put herself in harm's way. Because if she got into trouble, Leo would get into trouble rescuing her, and she didn't want him to get hurt. Her deadline to meet him was rapidly moving toward her, though, and she didn't want to use the emergency button. That would only put him into panic mode. Slowly, carefully, she opened her bathroom door and stuck her head out. Nothing. It was totally clear. _I think I'm going crazy._ She eased out and moved down the hall to her room, where she'd put out her small backpack. Unzipping it, she put in another set of clean clothes, her brush, and the book she'd been reading. _Toothbrush and toothpaste. Right._ Leaving her room, she headed to the bathroom and was about to go in when a hand settled on her shoulder. She slowly looked back, and one of the men from the night before stared at her.

"Where's the scroll?"

She hit the panic button.


	6. Information

Okay, so I don't own any Turtles, or giant rats. Bummer.

Wow, seriously, thank you for all the very nice reviews. I'm so glad someone other than myself is also enjoying this story. Thank you for the favorites and follows, too. I'm sort of thinking of doing a series with each brother; Raph and Mikey with OCs, and maybe one with Don and April. Guess it depends on where the muse leads.

STRONGER

CHAPTER SIX: Information

The second the panic alert went off on Leo's phone, he was climbing. He'd been waiting at the bottom of the ladder for Meli, and was now pushing the cover back, taking a quick glance around, and getting out. Dropping the cover, he sprinted down the street and turned into an alley. From there he climbed the fire escape and took off across the rooftops, heading to the Trove. He felt nothing as he cleared the gaps in between the buildings - though his stitches must've been pulling, his only thought was to get to Meli. He knew she wouldn't have set off the emergency button unless she'd absolutely needed help. _Hang on. I'm coming_, he pleaded in his mind. She had to be tough until he could get there.

Moments later he reached the building next to the Trove and climbed down the fire escape as fast as he could. He went to the apartment's back door, took a deep breath, and pushed it open. He didn't dare rush in, which was what he desperately wanted to do. He stuck his head in, saw nothing out of place, and crept in. Every sense was tingling, put on high-alert by his ninja training. He moved like a panther down the hallway. Coming to the living room, he took a quick look and established that no one was there. Dropping down into a crouch, he went forward, ears attuned to any sound that might be out of the ordinary.

And then he heard her. "I don't have the scroll. I'm not sure what you don't understand about that. It's not difficult," she was saying, her voice managing to be both snarky and compliant.

"You know where it is. Tell us." The man's voice was firm. And it established that he wasn't alone.

"No." Now Meli was being openly defiant. Leo crept forward, his muscles bunching beneath his skin in anticipation of combat. He had to see where the men were, though - a ninja needed to know his surroundings before entering battle. "Don't _touch_ me," Meli said.

"You're awful combative. You know we could just hurt you if we wanted." This was a different man.

"I'm not afraid of you two." Leo smirked at her words - whether figuring he was in the vicinity, or simply saying it, she'd just given him vital information. He could handle two on his own, though he knew his brothers were enroute. They would've received the panic alert on their phones, as well, and would now be rushing to back him up. "I'm not helping you, so you may as well leave," Meli said. "Don't come over here. Just stay by the couch."

_By the couch?_ Leo thought for a second. _Now I know where one of them is, at least._ If only he could somehow get her to give him the other man's position, and hers as well. His hearing picked up the faintest of sounds behind him, and he glanced back to see Raph nod at him, with Don and Mikey right behind him. Leo flashed a couple of hand signals that only his three brothers would know, and gave his attention back to the living room.

"You've got one minute, doll, and then we're done asking nicely," the first man said. Leo heard him moving, and tensed. He wasn't going to let Meli get hurt today. Moving forward, he crouched next to the half-door.

"What part of 'I don't know where it is' don't you understand?" Meli's voice was cool, but Leo detected the slight shake in it. She was scared. His temper spiked, but his training kicked in, and he put it back down. This was not the time to let his emotions out to play. "I swear, if you try to touch me, I'll hurt you," she said.

"Go ahead, honey, try it," the second man encouraged. Leo slowly raised himself up onto his knees, and glimpsed sight of the two men and Meli over the door. He dropped back down without a sound, and signaled his brothers over his right shoulder. "Ow!" the man howled.

"I told you not to touch me!" Meli snapped. Her voice was full of anger and fear, pushing Leo's temper, making it burn hotter. "I'll hit you again if you try anything!"

"I'm tired of this." The first man moved, and Meli cried out. Leo burst through the half-door, katana drawn, and went straight for Meli. Raph, Don, and Mikey, weapons at the ready, hit the second guy hard. The first guy had Meli by the arm, but when she saw Leo, she brought her elbow back hard into her captor's stomach and yanked free. She hit the floor as Leo leapt over top of her and struck the man with full force, dropping him with one strike. He threw a look over at the second man; he was down on the floor, and Raph, Don, and Mikey were taunting him, daring him to get back up.

"Leo?" Meli's voice was soft, fragile. He instantly dropped to his knees next to her and pulled her into the circle of his arms. She cuddled close to him. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome. Did they hurt you?" he asked. He eased her out from him so he could check her over; nothing seemed out of place, but he wasn't taking any chances.

"No, I'm okay." She sighed and looked over his shoulder at the guy he'd put down. "So stupid. I should've known better." She looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry. You guys were right - I should've stayed with you."

"No, not stupid," Leo told her. He touched her cheek. "We should've used a better strategy, that's all." He looked over at his brothers again. "Raph, lay off. He's not a threat anymore."

Raph glared at him. "He's not a threat when _I_ say he's not." He gave the guy a good poke in the side with one of his sai, drew back his arm, hit him once, and stood up to stretch. "Meli, you okay?"

"I am now, thanks to all of you." Leo helped her up, and she walked over to his brothers. Raph hugged her, and then intentionally blocked Mikey while she hugged Don.

"Aw, come on! I know I have to be careful with her!" the youngest turtle protested. "I helped save her, too, you know."

"Yes, you did. You were very brave, Mikey," Meli said. She moved to his side and hugged him. He stuck his tongue out at Raph. Leo knew the only reason Raph didn't retaliate was because Meli was too close. But his brother in red would have his revenge when Mikey least expected it.

"Meli, these are the same guys from last night, aren't they?" Leo asked. He walked over and knelt next to the one he'd put out cold. The two men wore boots and dark jeans, with nothing to really distinguish either of them.

"They are," she said. She came over and stood at his side. "I was just grabbing my toothbrush and toothpaste when this one caught me." She sounded disgusted. "I'd like to know who they're working for."

"Me too." Leo sighed. He shouldn't have hit the guy so hard - maybe they could've gotten some information out of him. And Raph had punched out the other one. "Let me see if I can wake this guy up." He tapped the guy's face and got no response.

"Gotta hit him harder than that," Raph said.

Leo gritted his teeth. There were times when he wished Raph would keep his opinions to himself. He lightly slapped the guy across the face, and the man suddenly sat up, eyes wide. Leo put a hand on his shoulder to restrain him. Don stepped forward and drew Meli back, putting her between Mikey and him. Raph crouched down next to Leo.

"Who are you? Who are you working for?" Leo asked. He kept his voice controlled. If he needed to, he'd let Raph play bad cop.

The man's eyes narrowed into slits. "All you need to know is we're getting that scroll." He looked over at Meli, and Raph reached out and grabbed his face, turning it toward him.

"You don't get to look at her," he growled. "Tell us who you're working for."

"Go ahead and knock me out again. I'm not telling you anything." The man's voice was chilled and defiant.

Raph put a sai to his throat. "I'm not gonna knock you out. I'll just put a couple holes through your throat." The man's eyes widened at this, and he met Leo's stormy gaze.

"Don't think I won't let him. You threatened someone very dear to all of us," Leo said. "Tell us what we want to know, or my brother can use you for target practice." He wasn't sure if the man was scared enough to talk or not, but certainly hoped so. It wasn't in his nature to really let Raph hurt someone like that.

"You'll find out who we're working for soon enough," the man said. Again he looked toward Meli. "We'll find you, sweetheart. These freaks can't hide you from us."

Before Raph or Leo could say anything, Meli walked over and knelt in between them. She leaned down into the man's face. "Don't you _ever_ call them that again." She put her hand over Raph's on his sai and pushed it tighter to the man's throat. "Are we clear?" When the man said nothing, she jabbed the sai hard against his throat, making him squirm. "_Are we clear?_"

"Yes," he muttered.

"Now who are you working for?" Meli asked. She didn't relinquish the sai, and Leo exchanged a look over her head with Raph. This was a side of her they'd had yet to witness; Leo had to admit that he liked how outright protective of him and his brothers she was. "Don't make me hurt you, because I will," she added.

"I don't know his name. We just call him the Wolf," he told her. His eyes moved to Leo. "Are we done here?"

"Sure, after we call the police," Leo said. He motioned to Don, who nodded and turned away. "Mikey, you got rope?"

"Duh." Mikey walked over and handed Leo a length of rope, which he used to bind the man's hands and feet tight. "Take that, you jerk," Mikey told the man. "You shouldn't have tried to hurt our friend."

"Police have been notified," Don said, tucking his phone into his belt.

"Let's clear out," Leo ordered. Raph shook his head. He grabbed a piece of stuffing protruding from the shot-up couch and shoved it into the man's mouth.

"There. _Now_ we can clear out," he said. He helped Meli to her feet, and Leo saw him checking her over for injuries. He smiled and turned away. It was good to know that his brothers had Meli's back, too. The other man, though still out due to Raph's temper and fists, was also tied up, and the turtles and Meli left the store. She grabbed some pajamas, her toothpaste and toothbrush, phone and charger, put them in her backpack, and followed the boys out the back door. They climbed up the fire escape, and Leo turned to his brothers.

"I'll take Meli," Raph said. He met Leo's eyes, as if challenging him to argue. But Leo's left side hurt from his sprint across the rooftops. He still wasn't in any condition to carry her.

"That's fine. Meli? You okay with that?"

She nodded. "Yes." She walked over to him, and Raph put his hand on her shoulder.

"Donnie, you take point. I'll go next, then Raph and Meli. Mikey, you follow them. Be careful. Don't let anyone see you," Leo said. "Don, go." Don ran to the edge of the building, peered over and out, motioned forward with his hand, and went leaping across the alley. Leo followed, knowing Raph was more than capable of getting Meli safely across the roofs. The only one he really worried about was Mikey. The youngest turtle, while the fastest of the four brothers, was not always the best jumper. But as they swept forward across the cold rooftops, Leo saw he had nothing to worry about. Mikey seemed to be taking the run seriously; Leo thought perhaps it had to do with Meli. His youngest brother had taken a shine to her. _In fact, I think they all have._ It didn't compare at all to what he felt toward her, though.

They arrived safely back at the manhole, and Raph jerked the cover off so they could climb down. Once they were within the darkness of the old sewer, Leo was able to fully relax. He walked close to Meli, needing to reassure himself that she was fine. She was quiet, and he wondered what was going through her head. "You okay?" he whispered.

She looked up at him, and he was taken aback by the tears in her eyes. "Meli? What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, stopping her. His brothers gathered around them.

Meli wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have gone back to the Trove. I put all of you at risk." Her sorrow was genuine. Leo put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them gently.

"It's not your fault. We should've planned it better, that's all," he said. "We could've worn disguises-"

"No way. You know I hate that," Raph said. "We look so stupid."

"Raphael." Leo's voice was sharp. "That's beside the point. If we'd gone with her, those guys might not have come in."

"He has a point though, dude. We do look really ridiculous in clothes," Mikey said. Raph fist-bumped with him.

"Disguises? Really?" Meli asked, looking from one brother to another. "What do you dress up as?"

"Oh, we try to look like normal people," Don told her. "But our shells make it hard to do normal. Not to mention our hands and feet. Master Splinter and April got the idea a few years ago, but none of us were really crazy about it. We prefer to go like this." He swept a hand down the front of him.

"It is hard to imagine you with clothes," Meli admitted, smiling shyly. "But I think you all look fine the way you are."

Raph broke into a huge grin. "Hear that? She thinks we're fine. _All_ of us, Leo."

Leo sighed. He really wished he could teach Raph some manners right now, but didn't want to embarrass him in front of Meli. "I just want you to know it's not your fault, Meli, okay? And at least we got some sort of clue as to who's after the scroll."

"The Wolf." Raph snorted. "Sounds lame."

"Wolves aren't lame," Mikey said. His eyes grew wide. "They're really scary!"

"Let's go," Leo said, not wanting the conversation to devolve into the Raph and Mikey Show like it usually did. He took Meli's hand and kept her close to his side. Don flanked her on the right, while the other two brothers walked behind and argued about whether or not wolves were lame or scary. When they reached the turnstile, the boys vaulted over and Meli hopped across.

"Food!" Mikey yelled. He then turned and stared at Meli. "We were getting pizza tonight." His face fell, and she gave him a quick hug.

"We still can. I'll go pick it up." She looked back at Leo. "It'll be dark - you can go with me, right?"

"Yes," he said, smiling. He loved that she tried to make things better for Mikey, who didn't always have it the easiest. Raph picked on him constantly, Donny was always irritated with him, and as for himself, he didn't give his youngest brother much attention, because Mikey was always _demanding_ attention, and that got old. It was good for him to have someone who wasn't fed up with him. Yet.

Splinter entered the pit and the brothers bowed to him. Meli just smiled. The big rat seemed to consider her for a moment. "You are unharmed?" he finally asked.

"Yes. The boys were wonderful," she said.

"I see." Splinter looked around at each of his sons, and then back at her. "I trust you will not be leaving the lair again?"

"Well, I did promise Mikey I would get pizza tonight," Meli said. Her voice was quiet. Splinter chuckled.

"That is acceptable," he said. "Leonardo, please meet me in the dojo."

"Yes, Sensei." Leo watched his Master go, and went to Meli. He hugged her, feeling her tension. "It's okay. He just wants to know what happened, that's all," he assured her. "I'll be right back."

"Meli, wanna play HALO?" Mikey asked, batting his eyes at her. She giggled.

"How do you know I'm any good? I might be terrible," she said.

"You're not. I saw the X-box in your living room, and the HALO games on the floor," Mikey told her, grinning. "Come on!"

Meli turned to Leo, who just shook his head. "I'm okay. Mikey will keep me company," she said.

"All right." Leo headed to the dojo. Upon entering, he saw Splinter sitting cross-legged by a table only a couple of inches off the ground, and hurried over to kneel on the other side.

"What happened, my son?" Splinter asked. "Is your side alright?"

Leo nodded. He touched his left side; the stitches had held this time. "Meli was about to leave to meet me at the manhole we use, but the same two men from last night came in and got a hold of her. I got there as fast as I could, and waited for the others before we rescued her." It sounded so cut and dry, yet the emotions that went along with it seethed just beneath his skin. His temper was winding up, and he had to force it away. Tempers were one of those things that were best left buried.

"Did you learn anything from the men?" Splinter asked.

"One of them said they work for a man they call the Wolf," Leo said. _And we found out Meli has a temper, too. _He hadn't been so sure she wouldn't use the sai on the man. Not that he hadn't wanted to beat him with his katana, but so far Meli had been nothing but sweet. Strong-willed, too, but that wasn't a bad thing. And they were used to strong-willed girls. April was tough and hard-headed sometimes, too.

"The Wolf." Splinter stroked his beard. "Interesting."

"Have you found out anything else on the scroll?"

"Not yet. I will ask Meli what her mother's maiden name was. There might be a connection there," Splinter said. He gestured to the door. "You may go, Leonardo. But I will suggest that Meli not be allowed top-side again unless she is escorted by two of you." His tone was very firm, and Leo nodded.

"Don't worry about that, Sensei. We'll keep a very close eye on her," he said. _Especially me._ He bowed and left the dojo. As he approached the pit, he could hear laughter and yelling, simultaneously, and quickened his steps to see what was going on. Mikey and Meli sat on the couch, game controllers in their hands. They were the ones laughing. Raph and Donnie sat in the bean bag chairs, also holding controllers, and Raph was the one yelling.

"Quit cheatin'!" Raph said. He was hunched forward in his chair.

"Dude, we're not cheating! We're just kicking your shells!" Mikey chortled.

"That's because Raph keeps running off and leaving me," Donnie complained. He got a thump on the arm from his red-clad brother.

"That's because you're slow!" Raph told him.

Leo chuckled and wandered into the kitchen. He set about making tea, figuring Meli and Splinter would also like some. As he worked, he thought about what the man had said. _The Wolf. We've never had any run-ins with that name before. Why does he want the scroll? _It didn't seem likely that any normal person would want to bring down utter demolition of the entire human race, so the guy had to be a nut-job of the highest order. He poured the tea into three cups, and sipped from his, feeling the last of his tension draining away. Closing his eyes, he also let go of the last of his anger at Meli being threatened again. _Three times in three days. I might just have chosen a danger magnet._ The thought made him smile. Even it were so, he couldn't change how he felt about her. She'd become an important part of his life, and from what he could tell, a part of his family, too. He heard Raph yelling some more, and decided to go watch Meli and Mikey beat the tar out of Raph and Don. He took his tea and Meli's with him, knowing Splinter's extremely tuned nose would pick up the scent and lead him to his own cup waiting on the table.

Leo sat next to Meli and set the two cups of tea down. "I see you and Mikey make a pretty good team," he said. She grinned at him.

"I'd say. We've had Raph and Don on the run almost from the first screen," she said.

"Yeah, Meli's awesome!" Mikey said. "She's a much better partner than you are!"

"Um, ouch?" Leo said. He leaned back and let himself enjoy watching the four of them play. He'd never been super into video games, preferring to spend his TV time watching an old show called Space Heroes. The Sci-Fi channel ran it late on Saturday and Sunday nights. He often found himself relating to the woes and trials of its main character, Captain Ryan. Raph teased him about it something terrible, but he refused to quit watching it.

"Next time we play, _I_ get Meli," Raph said. He threw down his controller in disgust and got to his feet.

"You can't quit!" Donnie said. "We need four players."

"Yeah, well I am." Raph glanced at Leo, and tossed him the controller. "Leo can play. I'm outta here." As his brother stalked away, Leo took Raph's spot in the bean bag chair.

"Okay, Donnie, time to show 'em whose boss," he said. He threw a cheeky smile over his shoulder at Meli. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he was suddenly struck by how _normal_ this all seemed. The four of them sitting around playing video games. Raph headed to do whatever he did to control his temper. Master Splinter staring at the four of them..."Sensei, what is it?" he asked. He straightened up in the chair.

"Meli, what was your mother's maiden name?" Splinter asked. His quiet question broke the joviality of the moment, and she set aside her controller while Mikey paused the game.

"Moreau," she said. Her eyes were trained on Splinter; Leo reached up to touch her knee, and her eyes dropped to him for a second. He saw the unease in them, and tried to give her a reassuring smile. Splinter rubbed at his chin.

"I will find out what I can," he said. "You should prepare yourself in the case that you are blood-related to the scroll," he added. She nodded.

"If I am, what then?" she asked. Her demeanor was very subdued now. Don reached over and turned off the Xbox; they could all tell that Meli was no longer in the mood for games. Mikey patted her arm, his blue eyes wide and concerned.

"You will stay here with us until we can find and stop this Wolf who wishes to use the scroll," Splinter said. His tone was calm, but fierce. Meli bit her lip and nodded.

"It'll be fun, Mel," Mikey said. "We can play video games and eat pizza and stay up late."

"That does sound fun," she said. Leo got to his feet and sat back on the couch next to her. He handed her the cup of tea and put his arm around her shoulders, knowing that she needed his physical support.

"I will let you know soon about any possible connection," Splinter said and left the pit. Donnie got up and motioned to Mikey, who frowned but reluctantly got up and followed him toward the kitchen.

"Don't worry," Leo said softly. "If you _are_ connected, we'll protect you. I won't anyone else hurt you."

She turned her head to look at him, and his chest ached at the pain in her eyes. "But I don't want you to get hurt. You, or them. What if this Wolf person is really powerful? What if he's too much for you guys?" She put her head on his shoulder, and he tipped his head to rest on hers.

"We've taken on some pretty nasty people over the years. We don't give up easily," he said. He took her hand in his, amazed at how big his was compared to hers, and yet how well they fit together. "I don't want you to worry, okay?"

"I know, but I am. If you hadn't been there a couple of nights ago, you wouldn't be mixed up in this," she said. "You'd just have your life to live."

He sat up and turned toward her, waiting for her to mirror his position. When she did, he reached up and cupped her petite face in his hands. "If I hadn't been there that night, something terrible would've happened to you. Fate brought us together, Meli. I _want_ to take care of you, even if it means putting myself in harm's way." He spoke quietly, but passion underlined each word. "And we don't know if you're connected to the scroll, anyway. You might not be."

She kept her eyes locked on his, and the warmth in hers melted him deeply inside. He'd never really understood why Don got so moony-eyed whenever April was around, or why he threw himself in the path of danger so recklessly to keep her safe. Not that he, Raph, and Mikey didn't want to keep April from harm, but Donnie always reacted instantly, without thinking things through. _But now I know why. I'd do anything for Meli. _He ran a hand over her soft, curling hair, and watched as a flicker of heat danced through her hazel eyes. His heart pounded harder as he shifted his weight, leaning toward her. She lifted her face to his, and he drew her closer, lightly increasing the pressure of his hand on the back of her head.

"Ahem."

Leo drew back, taking a shaky breath, and turned to look up at Splinter. The intensity of the ninja master's gaze was enough to drive away any remaining warmth in his body, and fear cut through him like one of his katana blades. He glanced at Meli and saw that she had gone pale, and her pulse fluttered in her throat.

"The Moreau family line is directly related to the scroll." Splinter's voice was soft, kind. He placed a hand on Meli's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. "Do not worry, my child. We will protect you."

Leo immediately drew her into his arms. She pushed her head tight to his plastron, and he held her as close as he could. _Don't worry. I've got you, and I'm not letting go._


	7. Emotions

I don't own any Ninja Turtles or rat Senseis...wish I did. Ha.

Thank you to everyone who is reading this story and adding it to their favorites and follows. Also, I greatly appreciate the reviews, as they let me know what you think about it. The more reviews, the better :-)

Quick note: I wasn't sure if Don was Donny or Donnie (I've seen both), and had gone with the former. But upon digging out some old Eastman and Laird comics, I see that it's Donnie. Hence, I've begun spelling it that way with this chapter, and will go back and fix the others.

One other note, too: I looked up how long turtles can hold their breaths under water, and got some interesting answers. Now, since our boys aren't full-on turtle, what with the human DNA, I know they wouldn't last an hour underwater. So, I settled on numbers that I thought were in the ballpark. Just keep that in mind. Thanks.

STRONGER

CHAPTER SEVEN: Emotions

Meli eventually pushed herself away from Leo's plastron, knowing full well she couldn't cower against him any longer. Splinter's words rang through her mind like tolling bells, and she shuddered, feeling Leo's hand on her shoulder. Why was this happening to her? Why had her father decided to send her the scroll? _Does he know what it is? Does he know I'm blood-bound to it? _And if he did, had he simply sent it to her for protection? "Meli?" Leo's voice was soft, questioning. She bit her lip and looked at him, seeing his concern.

"I don't know what to think," she murmured. "If my father knew what the scroll was, and knew I was bound to it, why did he send it to me? Wouldn't he be afraid someone evil would come after it?" It was hard to wrap her head around the whole idea. Her father, while not always super-engaged in her life while she'd been growing up, had nevertheless been a good father. She couldn't comprehend him knowingly putting her in danger like this. She rubbed her hands over her face and sighed.

"Maybe he doesn't know anything about the scroll. Or maybe he knows what it is, but not that you're blood-bound to it," Leo said. He rubbed her back, his large hand making soothing circles. "We'll figure it out. I promise."

She nodded, but couldn't find it in her to smile. Splinter had gone to the kitchen; she'd heard him calling the other three, and figured he was telling them the news. "I don't suppose I'll be allowed to go get the pizza now, huh?" she asked.

Leo frowned. "No, I don't think so." She could tell how upset he was, and appreciated his concern. It was wonderful to have someone looking out for you, someone who cared. It'd been a long time since she'd had that.

"I wish I could call my dad, and find out what he knows," she said. She sat forward on the couch and stared at the blank TV. "But he wrecked his last phone, and as far as I know, hasn't bothered to get another one." _You would think he'd be concerned enough to call me, find out if I'm still alive, since we haven't talked in almost two months. _Or at least to find out if the scroll he'd told her to protect had arrived intact. She wished now that it hadn't. _Why can't the postal system lose something like this once in awhile?_

"Do you have any other numbers for him? Or an address?" Leo asked.

"No. He doesn't stay in one place long enough for an address, and he doesn't like being on the phone. Hence, just one cell number, which is gone now," she said. Feeling antsy, she got to her feet and began to pace. She always thought better when she was moving. _I wonder if Uncle Rafe would know where he was. I could try calling him tonight._ Her uncle wasn't always the most dependable person, and he disliked her father very much, but he'd always adored her. "My uncle might know where he is, maybe. I can try calling him," she finally said, having decided that was her only option for reaching her father.

Leo smiled. "Well, that's a plan, at least." He glanced over his shoulder as his three brothers came toward them, all looking decidedly upset. Meli turned to face them, her eyes widening as the youngest suddenly launched himself away from Donnie and Raph.

"We won't let the Wolf get you, Meli," Mikey cried. He ran toward her, and she was just far enough away from Leo that he couldn't block the attack. Mikey hit her like a pro-tackle, and she gasped as he drove the breath from her lungs. He hugged her tight and squeezed. "No way we'll let that nasty guy hurt you!"

"Let up already!" Raph said. He grabbed Mikey by the shell and hauled him backward, while Donnie pried Meli out of his arms. She coughed and wheezed, and Raph slapped his youngest brother across the back of his head. "See? That's why we don't let you near her!"

"I'm sorry! I'm just, you know, worried," Mikey said. He was frowning, and Meli hated to see that. She loved his endless optimism and excitement, even if it did mean he went overboard sometimes.

"I'm okay, Mikey, really," she said. A hard coughing fit shook through her, and when she could finally breathe again, she found all four brothers watching her closely. Raph and Don were poised to smack Mikey, and Leo looked ready to throttle the youngest turtle. She forced a bright smile. "See? All better. Really."

"Are you sure?" Leo asked, walking over to her. He studied her, his blue eyes deep and intriguing, and she found she couldn't look away. "He forgets his own strength sometimes."

"I'm sure," she said, nodding. She was convinced the other three never forgot how strong they were, or what damage they could do if they so chose. "Um, so if I can't go get the pizza, what are we going to do?" It was time to deflect the conversation away from her.

"No pizza?" Mikey's face fell. "Dudes, come on. I've been looking forward to that all _day_."

Donnie looked at Leo. "I can call April, and see if she can hang out tonight. She could bring pizza."

"Yeah, that's exactly what we need here: _two _love sick turtles droolin' over their girlfriends," Raph said. He made a gagging noise. Leo lunged sideways at him the same time Donnie came from behind, and he went down hard. "Get off me!" he snarled. Donnie had him pinned, and Leo lay on the floor next to him, getting in his face.

"I suggest you shut up, Raph, or we'll _make_ you shut up," Leo said. His tone was cold, and Raph growled something unintelligible underneath his breath that warranted a crack across the back of his head from Donnie.

"You heard him, Raphael," he said. "Shut up."

"Um, guys, I think you're scaring Meli," Mikey said. Leo immediately looked up. Meli stared down at him, her hazel eyes wide and her arms crossed over her chest.

Leo shoved Raph and got to his feet. "It's okay. We do this to each other all the time."

"It's how we communicate," Donnie said, getting up. "Especially with Raph."

Raph got up and crossed his arms over his plastron. "That was unfair, and you both know it." He looked at Meli. "You'd think your boyfriend there would have more honor, since he's the leader, huh?" She blushed at his words, and he had to avoid another hit from Leo, who was also blushing.

"Dudes, come _on_. I'm starving here!" Mikey said, rubbing his hands over his stomach. "Seriously, I haven't eaten in hours."

Donnie looked at Leo. "So? Should I call April?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Leo said. He went to Meli and took her hand, tugging on it lightly. "Come on." She followed him away from the others, not really caring where he was leading her. Now that the boys had gotten some energy out of their systems, her thoughts were again circling around the scroll. "I'm sorry about all that back there," Leo said. He led her into the dojo, where they trained, and shut the doors.

"It's okay. You guys have a lot of energy," she said, smiling. Leo turned to her, and she was instantly worried at the intense look on his face. "What is it?"

"I meant about what Raph said." Leo sighed. "He shouldn't say embarrassing things like that."

"Oh." She looked down at the floor, trying to gather up some courage to look at him again. _Come on, Tomkins. Be brave._ This wasn't the first time Raph had referred to her as Leo's girlfriend, and while she certainly wasn't objecting, she couldn't help but wonder if Leo really felt that way about her. He was concerned for her, and had come to her rescue three times now, but was she confusing concern for something stronger? _I thought he was going to kiss me right before Splinter interrupted, but was I wrong?_ She felt his hand under her chin, and lifted her head to look up at him. The emotions swirling through the blue depths of his eyes made her heart pound, and she couldn't speak.

It was apparent that he couldn't, either, as he tried twice to say something, and failed both times. Finally, he took her face gently in his hands and brought his head down to hers. Meli reached around him, needing something to anchor herself as their mouths met. Not knowing at all what to expect, she found nothing could've prepared her for the shock waves he sent rolling through her body. His mouth was soft and though he kissed her with gentleness, she could feel the passion smoldering just beyond her reach. She made a small sound in the back of her throat, which he seemed to find encouraging. He dropped one hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her in tightly against his body. She tipped her head back, allowing him more access, and he made a growling noise that both excited and frightened her. When she felt a pinprick of panic, she forced herself to relax. This was Leonardo, her ninja turtle hero. She had absolutely nothing to fear from him.

She wasn't sure how long they kissed. All she knew was that she didn't want him to stop. His arms were strong and secure around her, and she was sure nothing could take her from him unless he allowed it. When he finally drew back, leaving her breathless, his own breath heaving in his chest, she was cold, unsteady. He gave her a tight squeeze and laid his head on hers. She pushed in close to him, her cheek against his solid plastron. They were quiet for a few moments, their labored breathing the only sound in the room.

"Are you all right?" he whispered. There was a thread of doubt in his quiet voice, doubt that she wanted to erase immediately.

"I am," she said, pulling back a little so she could look him in the eyes. "Are you?"

He nodded, a very slow smile tweaking the corners of his mouth. "I wasn't sure what to say, so..." He made a helpless gesture.

"I'd say you spoke quite eloquently," she told him. He chuckled, and she giggled. It felt so good to laugh, to release some of the tension that had been coiling up within her. She leaned against him, and he wrapped his arms around her. She still wasn't sure what to say to him, but he seemed to know now what he wanted to tell her.

"I like you, Meli." He looked down at her, and his eyes were deep and serious. "I meant what I said earlier about fate bringing us together. There's a reason I was on that rooftop a couple of nights ago. I was supposed to find you." His voice was low, a steady rumble in his chest, and it drove shivers up and down her slender frame.

"I like you, too, Leo." She reached up and touched his cheek. He tilted his head into her hand, his eyes never once breaking contact with hers. "I wasn't sure what you thought, at first. I thought maybe you were just concerned, just looking out for me. But that kiss...wow." A shudder rippled through her, and he gave her a gentle squeeze. "That was amazing."

He smiled, and it lit the room on fire. "I thought so, too. We fit together."

It was such a simple statement, yet it made her heart pound. _We fit together._ No one had ever talked to her like that, made her feel so much with so few words. She pressed against him, and he chuckled again, holding her tighter. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, and she looked up at him, a question burning in her eyes. Leo lowered his mouth to touch hers, and she sighed, loving the feel of him. This kiss was slower than the first, with Leo taking time to explore. Meli would've collapsed at his feet had his arms not held her so close, so securely. She ran her hands over his plastron, her touch feather-light and caressing, and he groaned. He took the kiss deeper, until she couldn't do anything but grip his upper arms and attempt to ride the swell of passion cresting over them.

"_Seriously?_ I'm gonna puke!" Raph's razor-sharp voice punctured the moment. Meli drew back quickly, as did Leo, who let go of her and turned to face his younger brother. "Well, it's good to see that you didn't suck her face off or anything," Raph added. "Not sure I could've gotten a sheet of paper in between you two."

"Now isn't the time, Raphael." Leo's voice was controlled, but Meli saw the shake in his shoulders. He was holding his temper in, but if Raph kept pushing, it would break down its barriers. She wasn't sure she'd even step in. The kiss had been wonderful, taking her to a place she hadn't realized she desperately needed to visit. Raph had horrible timing.

"Oh, no? You wanna explain to Splinter what you guys were doing? He might decide Meli shouldn't be staying here," Raph said. He looked over at her, and she blinked furiously, trying to hide her sudden tears at his caustic tone. But when his eyes widened and then went soft, she knew he'd seen them. "Meli..."

Leo had seen them too, apparently. He went to her and pulled her into his arms, talking softly and stroking her hair. "Get lost, Raph," he said over his shoulder.

"I was just-"

"_Get lost_!" Leo barked. Meli jerked at his harsh tone, and he hugged her closer, the warmth of his body soothing her every bit as much as the words he whispered in her ear. "Shh, it's okay. Raph's just being a jerk," he said. "It's all right."

"We won't get in trouble, will we?" she asked. She couldn't bear the thought of Splinter scolding them like they were two school children. They were over twenty, after all, and old enough to decide if they wanted to kiss or not.

"I don't think so. And he won't make you leave, either. He wants to protect you as much as I do," Leo assured her. He rubbed her back. "We probably should go out, though, before the other two come looking for us." Meli nodded against his chest, and eased away from him. He smiled encouragingly at her, took her hand, and led her out of the dojo.

"Hey guys!" Mikey yelled. "April's bringing us pizza!" His enthusiasm was catching, and Leo let go of Meli's hand so she could go give the youngest turtle a high-five.

"Sounds great. I'm hungry," she said. She looked around for Raph but didn't see him, and wondered if she should try and clear things up with him. But Leo was coming over to sit on the couch, and if he wasn't ready to let things go just yet, maybe it was best if she didn't interfere. He sat and patted the spot next to him. She sat and gestured to the TV. "Mikey, what are you watching?"

"Ooh, it's this new reality show where the people are trapped on a sinking ship, and they have to figure out how to get off," he said, adding in a sinister tone, "Or die trying." Meli shivered, and he laughed. "It's good so far."

"We could totally do that," Leo said.

"No doubt," Mikey said, holding out his fist for a bump. Meli frowned and sank back against the couch cushions. Mikey glanced at her. "You don't think we could?"

"No, it's not that. I just don't know why you'd want to," she said. "I mean, these reality shows are getting more dangerous all the time. Eventually, someone _will_ end up dying, and that it'll be it."

"It wouldn't be us," Leo assured her. "A sinking ship would be cake for four ninja turtles."

She looked at him, and had to smile at his supreme confidence in both his skills, and those of his brothers. "You guys are probably amazing swimmers, right?"

"Oh yeah," Mikey said. "Turtles are naturals in the water. We can hold our breaths for a long time, too, like fifteen minutes or so."

"Wow, really?" Meli looked to Leo to back up his youngest brother. Leo nodded.

"Our oxygen would last that long if all we were doing was sitting on the bottom of a pool. If we had to actually swim, we'd only get about eight minutes or so. We get that from our turtle DNA. But because of our mutation, we can't stay under water as long as a normal turtle can, which can be an hour up to several hours," he told her. "Even with just eight minutes of air, though, we'd totally rule this show."

Meli turned her attention back to the TV, where three young people were trying to figure out how to escape a cargo hold they'd inadvertently gotten themselves locked in. The two boys were arguing and the girl was trying to climb higher up a stack of boxes. Water was rising steadily, already lapping at the boys' waists. Meli squirmed a little. These sorts of shows made her uncomfortable. But Leo and Mikey were really into it now, so she decided to go find someone else to hang with. She got up and slid past Mikey, who didn't even notice her leaving. Leo gave her a questioning look, so she pointed toward the kitchen. He smiled and gave her a quick nod before tuning back into the show, where the boys were now also trying to climb the boxes.

The kitchen was empty, and since she wanted to hold off until April came with the pizza, she headed back to the dojo. There weren't too many places to explore in the lair; she figured she'd avoid the boys' rooms, and Donnie's lab seemed off-limits, too. When she pushed open the door of the dojo, she heard grunting and a few choice words and found Raph beating the daylights out of a punching bag. She blushed, thinking of what he'd said to her and Leo, and thought about not going in, but there really wasn't anywhere else to go. The thought of watching a TV show where people were willing to drown just for extra cash was not appealing at all, so she quickly stepped in and shut the door. If Raph noticed, he paid her no attention. That was fine with her; she sat down and simply watched him work the bag.

This was the first time she'd ever really seen one of the boys fight, even if it was with an inanimate object, and Raph's sheer physical force and skills with his sai stunned her. He was a tornado of movement, pummeling the bag from all sides, his steps fast and sure. She lost count of how many strikes he put on the bag. He never drove the sai into it, but rather tapped its sides, leaving it intact. _I wonder if he's ever broke one. Maybe that's why he doesn't put his sais through it. _She couldn't imagine Splinter would be happy if he'd just replaced it to have Raph break it again. The steady staccato of the hits beat inside her head, and she closed her eyes. _I'm so tired. _Would it hurt to just rest here? She wasn't bothering Raph, and she was sure Leo knew exactly where she was. Her eyes grew heavy, and she felt herself falling, unable to stop.

She awoke with a start sometime later, an instantaneous blooming of panic threatening her senses. "Easy," someone murmured, and she looked to the side to see Raph, his emerald eyes locked on her. "Didn't think you'd want to spend all night in here," he added. He didn't attempt to get up, but stayed kneeling next to her, waiting.

Meli yawned behind her hand and offered him a tired smile. "No, probably not. I am pretty hungry. You must be, too. That was quite the hurting you put on the bag."

He smiled, but his eyes were wary. "Yeah, well, I needed to put my temper in its place," he said. Gesturing toward the bag, he added, "Better than workin' it out on my brothers."

"I'd say." She started to get up, and groaned as her calf seized in a charley-horse. Raph reached out and steadied her, a small grin on his face. "Don't say anything," she warned, but smiled to take the edge off. "I know I'm not anywhere near the kind of shape you guys are all in."

"Not many people are," he said. "But with that temper of yours, I bet you'd give the bag a good pounding." She turned her head to look at him, and he winked at her. "You should've heard yourself goin' after that guy at your place today. I wasn't so sure you wouldn't put my sai through his throat."

She frowned and got to her feet, leaning on him for support. "Well, I wasn't going to let him talk about you guys that way." She straightened and met his gaze. "You guys are great, Raph. I wish more people could get to know you and find that out."

He shrugged. "Nah, because then we'd have to deal with people all the time. Bad enough we got April, and now you." He spoke with such seriousness that she wasn't sure if he was joking, but then he nudged her shoulder and grinned. She smiled and gave his forearm a light smack. His eyes turned wary again, though, and he said, "Look, I shouldn't have said what I did to you and Leo. You just took me by surprise. Splinter won't care, as long as you two aren't, you know..." He wriggled his hips, and Meli coughed, her face turning bright red.

"Raphael!" she said, and he laughed, loud and long. She smacked his upper arm this time, just a little harder. "On that note, I think I'm leaving," she said. But he reached out and took hold of her wrist, stopping her. She gave him a questioning look.

"We okay?" he asked. She waited for him to make some other smart aleck remark, but his face was devoid of any sort of smile, and his eyes were intense on hers. "I didn't mean to make you sad," he added. The swell of emotion in his green eyes surprised her. Raph worked hard at keeping his feelings under wraps, and for him to be this vulnerable with her was nothing short of wonderous.

"We're okay," she said. Her voice was soft, and she reached out and drew him into a tight hug. He hugged her back, and she felt tension draining out of him. Then he stepped back and gave her the cocky grin she already associated with him.

"Good. That's enough touchy-feely crap," he said. Meli laughed as he turned and opened the dojo door, holding it open for her to go through first. His sense of chivalry was not lost on her. There were precious few men left in the world who knew how to treat a lady, and there were five of them living right here in the lair. She made a mental note to thank Splinter for his thorough training of the four young turtles. Raph bumped her shoulder in comradery, and they made their way back to the living room.

"Did everyone die?" Meli asked. Leo looked at her and smiled.

"No, not everyone," he said.

"A couple of them did almost drown, though." Mikey's voice was full of wonder. "They actually got trapped and some of the professional divers had to go rescue them."

Meli shivered. "See, I told you. Someone will die, and they'll have to quit making these kinds of shows."

"We could totally take this show," Raph said, earning him two high-fives from his brothers.

"Where's Donnie?" Meli asked. She wondered if maybe he at least had the good sense to not think this kind of show was awesome.

"He went to get April," Leo said. He reached out and took her hand, pulling her down onto the couch beside him. "You get to meet the other girl in our lives," he said. When she didn't respond, he turned her face to him, his eyes searching hers. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure how April will feel about me," she said. She spoke quietly, hoping Raph and Mikey wouldn't hear, but both of them turned from the TV and smiled at her.

"April will love you, 'cause you're cool like she is," Mikey told her.

"You both like hanging out with us," Raph added.

"It'll be fine," Leo reassured her. "She's really nice, and I bet she'll be glad to have another girl to hang out with here."

"I hope so." Meli wasn't as confident as the boys were. She'd dropped into their lives unexpectedly, and wasn't sure April would take to having another girl to share their attention with. She suspected that there might be some hard feelings, and decided she'd make things as easy for April as she could. _But I won't give up hanging out with them, and I certainly won't give up Leo._

"Hey guys!" a cheerful voice called, and all three of them jumped off the couch and raced toward the turnstiles to where Donnie stood next to a pretty red-haired young woman. Meli took a deep breath.

_This is it. You can do this._ She got up and headed toward the small group, ready to make friends with the only other human the turtles trusted.


	8. Competition

Thank you for your support with this story. I'm glad you all are enjoying it along with me.

STRONGER

CHAPTER 8: Competition

"Meli." Leo turned to her and held out his hand, a smile on his face. She hurried to him and took hold of it, feeling a little lost in the hubbub that surrounded April's arrival. Mikey was currently hugging her, and from the look on April's face, she was just shy of being able to breathe. But Raph yanked the youngest turtle back, and the redhead smiled and gave Mikey a high-five. She then exchanged what looked like a complicated system of hand signals with Raph, and ended with bowing to Leo, who returned the gesture with a grin. "April, this is Melisande Tomkins," he said, pushing Meli forward. "Meli, April O'Neil."

"Hi," she said, holding out her hand.

"I've heard quite a bit about you already," April said, taking the outstretched hand and giving it a good shake. "Donnie said Leo rescued you a couple of nights ago?"

Meli nodded, feeling shy. "Yes, he did. And then I put him back together again." Leo turned sideways to April and swept a hand down his stitched-up left side. April gave a low whistle.

"Nice work. Almost as good as Donnie's," she said. "You actually let youself get injured? For shame," she said, looking at Leo, a sly smile on her face. He coughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, well. It _does_ happen, occasionally," he said. He grinned then, and said, "It was worth it." Meli blushed as his blue eyes met her hazel ones, and she saw the intensity of his feelings for her.

"Gag me." Raph took hold of April's hand. "Come on. Mikey ran off with the pizza, so we better go find him."

"Okay." April allowed herself to be led off by the red-banded turtle, with Donnie at her side. Leo touched Meli's face.

"See? No problem," he said.

"No problem," she repeated. But she still wasn't sure April was going to be happy having her around. She'd had the turtles all to herself for seven years; what if she didn't want to share?

"Don't worry, okay? Trust me," Leo said. He seemed to sense her unease, and gave her a quick hug. "Come on. If we don't get over there, they'll eat all of it and leave nothing for us." He took her hand and they headed into the kitchen, where the others were gathered around the table. April was laughing at some story Raph was telling, and her familiarity with the boys was obvious. Meli and Leo each took a slice of pizza, and she stood back against the counter, content to just watch and listen.

"So, April, been kickin' any bad guy butt lately?" Raph asked. He was putting away his third slice of pizza. When Mikey reached for a fourth, Raph slapped his hand, making the youngest turtle pout.

"Well, I _did_ have a run-in with some of the Dragons last night," April said. Her tone was casual, but all four of the boys immediately stopped eating and looked at her.

"What happened?" Donnie asked, sounding concerned. She smiled at him.

"They were bugging the owner of that all-night laundromat that just went in a few weeks ago. My washer is out, so I was there doing a couple of loads. Anyway, they started in on the owner, and well, I couldn't just stand by. You know I'm not good at that." She grinned and took a drink of her soda. "But it wasn't anything I couldn't handle." She wasn't being cocky, just stating the facts. Meli wondered how she'd taken care of the bad guys - did she know ninjutsu, too?

"You coulda called us," Raph told her.

"You _should've_ called us," Donnie admonished.

"How many were there?" Leo asked, his food temporarily forgotten. Meli heard a slightly protective note in his voice, and had to remind herself that he would be concerned for April, as they all would be. She was a part of their family.

April tossed her hair back over her shoulder. "Oh, a couple...um, maybe five...something like that."

"_Five?_ That's a lot for you to be taking on by yourself," Donnie said. "You could've gotten hurt." He set his plate down and stared at her. April sighed and reached to touch his forearm.

"It was fine. Two of them didn't engage at all, and the other three weren't exactly their top fighters. If I'd thought I needed help, I would've called. You know that," she said. "I fight smart."

"I know." Donnie frowned. "I'll come over and fix your washer so you don't have to go down there again."

"That would be great." April smiled at him, and Donnie seemed to light up. "But other than that, things have been pretty quiet. How about here?"

"Well, Leo's been playing white knight the last couple of days," Raph said, throwing his brother a grin. Meli frowned as she listened. Yes, it was true she'd needed rescuing, but was it that funny to them? Apparently it was, as the other three brothers chuckled. Her face warmed, but she wasn't going to storm out or do anything so ridiculous. She wasn't trained in fighting. Maybe if she was, she'd be able to handle her own problems like April did.

"Yeah, he's always had a little bit of the hero complex," April said. "Girls like the fearless leader routine." She said it playfully, but Meli blushed again, and hoped none of them noticed. In fact, since they'd gotten to the kitchen, no one had paid her any attention. She'd expected this, of course, but it still stung a little. "So, what are we doing tonight?" April asked, glancing at all the boys.

"Video games!" Mikey yelled.

"I call Meli," Raph said, and turned to her. "Bring on HALO!" She couldn't help but smile at him, and he gave her a wink. She saw April looking at her, and blushed again, feeling somehow inferior to the older girl.

"You must be good at that game. Raph likes to win," April told her.

"She's amazing at it," Mikey said. He polished off his can of soda. "We kicked Raph and Don's shells earlier." He leaned over the table and stretched his fist out for Meli to bump. She grinned at him, and started to relax a little. Leo moved to her side, and with him there, she felt some of her confidence return. She wanted April to like her, but wasn't sure how to go about it. Maybe if she just started talking to her...

"So, April, did the boys teach you how to fight?" Meli asked. She was genuinely curious.

"They helped, but Master Splinter is really the one who trained me. I'm a kunoichi, or female ninja," April said. "I've been training pretty much since I met the guys." Her tone wasn't cool or necessarily unfriendly - it was just clear she was still reserving judgment on this newest addition to the group. Meli didn't blame her. April was protective of the boys, and she could relate to that. In fact, she'd of been put-off if April hadn't been.

"That's cool. I can't fight to save my life," she said, and glanced sideways at Leo. "That's why my knight here had to jump in and save the day." He smiled and took her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"I didn't mind," he told her. His eyes twinkled, and she wished she could just stare into them for awhile. But when she heard Raph clear his throat and mutter something beneath his breath, she heaved a mental sigh and turned her attention back to the others. April was watching her very closely, and Meli reminded herself to relax.

"So, HALO?" Raph said and gave Meli a look. She nodded, grateful to him for getting the focus off her. "Let's do it, then." He got up and headed out of the kitchen. Meli went to follow, but Leo held her back as the others followed Raph. Once they'd gone, she looked up at Leo, her gaze questioning.

"I don't care that you don't know how to fight," he said. His voice was gentle. "That doesn't matter me." He pushed some of her hair back behind her ear, and his touch was both soft and protective. "In fact, it's nice to have someone who depends on me."

"Your brothers depend on you. So do Splinter, and April," she said.

"They do," he agreed. "But I also know if push comes to shove, and I'm not there, they can take care of themselves. You, on the other hand," he paused to smile, "while feisty, need help sometimes." He set his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. "And I like that about you."

Meli stared at him for a moment, gathering up the words. "Really?" she said, her voice soft. "I mean, you've had to rescue me three times. That doesn't bother you at all?"

His eyes widened. "No, why would it?"

She gestured toward the living room. "Well, as you just said, they can all take care of themselves. I mean, April took on five thugs last night by herself. Me? Two guys break into my apartment, twice no less, and I can't defend myself." Her gaze dropped down to the floor. "I just don't want to be an extra burden on you, or your brothers." Her voice was a whisper now. She didn't want anyone else to hear this conversation; it was embarrassing enough to admit to him how she felt. And the fact that April had single-handedly taken out some Purple Dragons by herself, without feeling the need to call in the boys, made her feel even worse. She felt Leo's hand beneath her chin, and raised her eyes back to his. They were full of reassurance.

"First off, April has been in training to be a kunoichi for seven years. _Seven_ years," he emphasized. "And she still needs back-up now and then. So do we, and we've been in ninjutsu training most of our lives. That's why we mostly patrol together, so someone has our back. As for you, you aren't exactly helpless." He smiled down at her. "You took out two of those drug dealers by yourself before I got to you."

"But last night when those guys broke in I wasn't able to do anything," she reminded him. She wasn't trying to be argumentative; rather, she just wanted to know if he really was okay with her not being to handle a fight by herself. _I mean, he's a ninja. Wouldn't he want a girl who can at least do _something_ to protect herself?_ This line of thought hadn't really occurred to her before, but with the entrance of April and her own ninja abilities, it now had a foothold and wouldn't go away.

His smile faded and his grip on her shoulders tightened. "Okay, so they got a jump on you last night. But what about today? Unless I heard wrong, you defended yourself. You smacked one of them. Right?" His eyes were very intense now, and his voice, while still soft, had a steel underline. "And you didn't act scared. Sometimes that half the battle."

She bit her lip and nodded. "Yeah, that's true."

"Would it make you feel better if you had some training?"

Her eyes widened. "Well, I'm not sure I'm cut out for ninjutsu," she said. "I think I'd just like to know how to defend myself in case someone else comes after me." The thought of wielding katanas or sais didn't exactly appeal to her; she'd never been one for much violence, unless it was absolutely necessary. "Could you train me for something like that?" she asked.

Leo nodded. "I think we could handle that," he said. "Master Splinter usually handles a lot of the training, including April's, and I'm sure he would be willing to teach you." He touched her cheek. "But seriously, Meli, it doesn't matter to me if you know anything about fighting. Just because I'm a ninja doesn't mean that's all I care about." He sounded a little worried, and she smiled and hugged him, feeling his impossibly strong arms wrap around her.

"I know. But I do think it would be good for me to know some self-defense, especially since this Wolf guy is after me." A shudder rippled through her body, and Leo brought her in tighter to his plastron.

"Don't worry about that right now, okay? He's not getting his hands on you," he told her. His voice was fierce, and she nodded, knowing that he would never willingly let her get hurt. She just hoped that things would be calm for a little while.

"Meli! Come on!" Raph yelled.

She pulled back a little from Leo and met his concerned gaze. "I'm okay," she told him. "I'd better get in there before he sends Mikey after me." Leo grinned.

"Yeah, that's true. Come on." He took her hand and led her out to the pit, where she sat on the couch with Raph. Leo settled in beside her. Mikey and April were the opposing team, and they'd claimed the two scruffy-looking bean bag chairs, leaving Donnie the old recliner. He'd kicked the foot rest out and had his arms behind his head.

"This should be interesting," he said to Leo in a conspiratorial whisper.

"It's not gonna be interesting," Raph retorted. "We're gonna kill 'em."

"Blah, blah, blah – ready, Mikey?" April asked, looking at the turtle sitting to her left.

"I was born ready," Mikey said, earning him a kick in the shell from Raph, who sat almost directly behind him. "Ow!"

"Quit cryin' and start the game already," Raph said. He held out his fist to Meli, who bumped hers against his. "Let's do this," he told her, grinning. She nodded and got into her playing stance, which consisted of leaning ever-so-slightly forward, her controller held lightly in both hands. Ten minutes into the game, it was still even, but little by little, Raph and Meli were showing that they were, after all, the superior team. Mikey lost his guy to a grenade launcher, eliciting a cry of triumph from Raph, who then lost his to April's firearm. Leo and Donnie did the best they could to not laugh, but soon lost that particular battle. An hour later, April and Mikey had to concede that maybe, just maybe, they'd been outgunned.

"Switch partners," Mikey said, looking at Meli. "I call Meli next."

"No way," Raph told him. "We can switch games, if you two losers want to, but _not_ partners."

"Loser?" April rounded on Raph, a glint in her blue eyes that Meli found somewhat disturbing. "Did you _really_ just call us _losers_? Those are fighting words, Raphael!" She grabbed a nearby pillow and promptly slammed it into his face.

"Pillow fight!" Mikey hollered, and threw one at Meli, who was quick enough to grab it and launch it back at him. Donnie and Leo got into the action, and it became a sudden free-for-all, with pillows flying everywhere. Meli avoided one from Mikey only to take one in the face from April, who wasn't holding anything back. Meli blinked hard for a second before going after the other girl. April spun around and swung a pillow at her, getting her in the face again. The momentum of the pillow knocked Meli off-balance, and she stepped backward, tripping over Mikey, who had gone down hard trying to fend off Raph, and fell flat on her back.

Everyone stopped and stared down at her. Meli's face warmed considerably, and she saw Leo hurrying toward her, a protective air about him. She waved her hand at him, and he stopped just shy of reaching down for her. "Dude, are you okay?" Mikey asked, his eyes wide.

Meli did a mental check. Nothing really hurt; if anything, the only thing that had gotten injured was her pride, but she could take that. This wasn't the first klutzy thing she'd ever done, and wouldn't be the last. She flashed Mikey a thumbs-up and grinned, still lying on her back. "I'm fine, Mikey." She switched her gaze to April, who was watching her with an appraising eye. "Nice hit, April. No wonder you didn't need to call in the guys last night."

April smiled down at her then, and leaned forward to give her a hand up. "Thanks. I learned from the best." She swept her hand around at the boys. "And Splinter had a lot to do with it, too."

"That _was_ a good hit," Raph said. "But still doesn't change anything – Meli's mine for the night."

"Oh yeah? I bet Leo has something to say about that!" Mikey said. A huge grin graced his face, and Raph suddenly reddened, realizing how he'd sounded. He looked at Leo, who was frowning.

"That's not what I meant," Raph said as Leo advanced on him, a pillow in his hand.

"You should think before you speak, Raph," Leo said and with a lunge, began clobbering his brother with the pillow. Donnie and Mikey jumped in, eager to get some licks in on their red-banded brother, and the two girls retreated from the pit.

"Are you thirsty?" Meli asked. "I'm dying after all that."

"Yeah, me too. There has to be some Coke or something in the fridge." April followed her into the kitchen, and they found some bottles of Coke. Each taking one, they settled at the table and kicked back. It was quiet for a few moments, as they both allowed the cool soda to quench their thirst, and then April looked across the table at Meli. "You know, I wasn't sure what to think when Donnie told me Leo was really interested in this girl he'd rescued. I wondered if maybe you were going to string him along, and then do something cruel to him." Her tone indicated that if that had been the case, Meli would be in seriously hot water. Meli didn't defend herself; she could see that April wasn't done yet. "And I wasn't sure I was going to like you. It's always been the guys and me, and to be honest, I didn't want to share them." April fiddled with her bottle of soda, rolling it back and forth in her hands. "But seeing you with Leo, and the way you watch him, the way you look at him – well, you genuinely like him. It's easy to see. And he definitely likes you." April looked up at her and met her hazel eyes. "I guess what I want to say is that it's cool that he's found you, and I think you're a really good fit for our family."

Meli wasn't expecting the sudden tears that gathered in her eyes, and didn't try to hide them. "Thank you, April. Leo means the world to me, and so do the guys, and Splinter. I can't imagine my life now without them." She smiled. "And you know, I've always wanted a sister."

April grinned back. "Me too. Having the guys is awesome, but it would be nice to have another girl around." They shared a conspiratorial smile. "You took that fall like a champ, too. I have to admit, if you'd started crying or something, I'm not sure I could've given you my seal of approval."

Meli laughed, the sound bursting out of her in delight. "Well, if that had happened, I wouldn't have _deserved_ your seal of approval. I don't know a thing about fighting, but I've never been a cry baby. I was a tomboy growing up. I'm an only child, and my dad wasn't about to raise a sissy."

April nodded. "Ha, me neither. I'm an only child, too, and my dad taught me everything he knew about science and technology. I'm pretty sure if I'd been a girly-girl, the boys would never have taken me in, especially Raph." Meli giggled, and raised her bottle to April's.

"To the tomboys," Meli said, and they clinked the bottles together. Meli's heart felt close to exploding. She'd never in her wildest dreams thought she'd find a new family, one with not only three brothers, a sister, and a surrogate father, but with the love of a lifetime. As she took a swallow of soda, she knew that's exactly what Leonardo was.

"Hey, we interruptin' anything?" Raph asked, sauntering into the kitchen. He reached for April's Coke, but she batted his hand away.

"Get your own, tough guy," she said. "And no, you're not."

"We were just talking," Meli added. She and April exchanged a look, and both started laughing. Raph gave them a suspicious look and got a soda from the fridge. His brothers followed him in, and Leo immediately went to Meli, bending down to kiss the top of her head. Donnie did the same to April, who smiled up at him. Meli grinned, seeing that they seemed as close as her and Leo, and she suspected, even more so, since they'd known each other so long.

"So, who won the pillow fight?" April asked. Donnie settled in next to her. Raph and Mikey sat on the counters, and Leo pulled out a chair beside Meli.

"I did," Raph said. "It wasn't even a contest."

Leo snorted. "If by saying it wasn't a contest you mean you lay on the floor and cried until we let up, then yeah. No contest."

"Good one!" Mikey said. Raph reached over and shoved him, knocking him off the counter. "Ouch!"

"You had it coming," Raph told him. He glared at Leo. "And I did not lie down and cry. I took _your_ pillow away, and beat the snot outta Donnie and Mikey with it. That's what happened."

Meli looked at Leo, who was rolling his eyes. "Um, I'm pretty sure my boyfriend wouldn't have lost his pillow." Leo smiled at her and wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, giving them a squeeze.

"Thanks for the confidence," he told her.

"Ugh. You two make me sick," Raph said. He jumped down off the counter. "We playin' anymore games tonight or what?"

"Only if I get Meli," Mikey said, sticking his tongue out at Raph. Raph grabbed him and was about to throw him off the counter when Meli cleared her throat.

"I think April and I should take you and Mikey on," she said, looking at Raph. He gave her a look that clearly said he thought she'd lost her mind.

"Seriously? Girls vs. guys? You know you two are gonna get smoked," he said.

"That's not true," Donnie said, quickly jumping to the girls' defense. "I think the girls would kick your shells."

"Me too," Leo chimed in. He raised an eye ridge and met Raph's disgruntled look. "Go ahead. Take on the girls. I _dare_ you."

"Um…" Mikey threw a slightly panicked look at Raph. "You know they're both really good, Raph. Maybe we should—"

"Shut up," Raph growled. He gestured toward Meli and April. "Fine. Come on. Let's go." He strode out of the kitchen, and the others got up to follow him. Meli and April smiled and winked at each other, and Meli was supremely confident that she and April could indeed take down Raph and Mikey. Raph tossed both girls controllers and he and Mikey claimed the couch, leaving the girls to settle in the bean bag chairs. Leo sat on the floor while Donnie garnered the old recliner again.

It was soon quite apparent that the girls together were much better than the two brothers, and with Leo and Donnie cheering them on, Meli and April began to really run the show. Raph's frustration only served to make Mikey nervous, and he committed more player's errors, which allowed the girls to repeatedly blow them up again and again. Finally, after Raph and Mikey's characters had taken a severe beating for an hour, Mikey threw down his controller.

"Okay, okay, I _give_," he groaned and slouched down on the couch. Raph reacted by punching his shoulder.

"What are you doing? You can't give up now!" he said.

"Too late!" April crowed. "Your partner admitted defeat. Girls win!" She slapped a high-five with Meli. Raph snarled beneath his breath and tossed his controller to the floor.

"Fine, Mikey lost. _I'm_ not giving you the satisfaction," he said.

"Aw, poor Raphael. He's a sore loser," Meli cooed, and she and April promptly broke down into a fit of giggles.

Raph glared at Leo and Donnie. "Who let these things in, anyway? I know it wasn't me!"

Before either girl could retort, or Leo or Donnie defend them, Meli's cell phone rang. She rustled it out of her jean pocket and answered. "Hello?" Her eyes widened. "Uncle Rafe? How are you?" She got up and headed toward the kitchen, away from the resuming noise as April continued to tease Raph and Mikey.

"Hello, darling. I wanted to call and let you know that I'm in New York right now. I thought we could meet for dinner tonight. I'll stop by the Trove." Her uncle's rich voice was tense, and instantly Meli shivered. Something wasn't quite right; her uncle hated New York, and hadn't visited her in five years.

"Um, that would be great. The Trove is a mess right now, though," she said. "Someone did a drive-by on it last night."

"Are you alright?" The fact that her uncle's voice raised up a few notches quelled some of the unease in her stomach, but did nothing for her curiosity about his unexpected visit.

"I'm fine, but the store isn't. My insurance company assured me it would be, though." She felt someone come in and glanced over her shoulder to see Leo, a questioning look on his face. He wasn't going to be happy about her leaving the lair, but she rarely saw her uncle. "What time do you want to meet?" she asked, turning to face the turtle in blue. Leo frowned and moved closer.

"It's eight right now, so I'll pick you up at nine," Rafe said. His tone was smooth as steel. "Don't be late, darling." And then he was gone.

"You can't leave the lair," Leo said. He stopped in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. His expression was stern. "And you know that." Meli nodded, but she wasn't going to stay here.

"That was my uncle Rafe. He's in New York, and wants to meet at nine tonight for dinner." She spoke with a calm voice, but she could tell that Leo knew she wasn't going to back down on this. He crossed his arms over his plastron, and his eyes sparked with something akin to anger.

"I can't protect you if you're out at some restaurant," he said. "I don't want to force you to stay, Meli, but it's not like I can go in with you."

"I know." She sighed. "But I haven't seen him in five years." She thought about it for a few moments. "Maybe we can just stay at the Trove. You can watch the store from the roof," she said.

He shook his head. "I don't like this. You haven't seen him in so long, and out of the blue he calls and wants you to meet him? With all this scroll stuff going on? Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

She stared at him and mimicked his pose, her arms across her chest. "You think he's after the scroll?"

"What if he is?" Leo countered, his tone cool. "What then?"

Meli turned away from him, her blood icing in her veins. Rafe had sounded agitated by something, and fairly forceful about her not being late. _But how would he know about the scroll? He's not into archeology or unique treasures like my dad is. And I can't see my uncle wanting the whole world to burn down._ "I don't know," she whispered.

Leo reached out and turned her to face him again, then lifted her chin. "I'm not trying to be a jerk about this, Meli, but it does seem suspicious. You have to admit that," he said. His voice was gentle now, with no underlying steel. "I want to keep you safe."

She nodded. Most of her wanted to stay right here in the lair with him and the others, where she knew she was safe, but her uncle was acting suspiciously. "I know, Leo. And I admit, it does seem suspicious. But he might know where my father is, and I would like to see my uncle again." She met his gaze, and saw the struggle taking place in his eyes. It really wasn't fair to ask him to risk her safety like this, but she had to find out if Rafe knew where her father was. "My uncle has always been really trustworthy," she added, not knowing if that helped or not.

"I'll go with you. Try to keep him at the Trove," Leo said. "If something happens, or he scares you, use the emergency button." He tugged her into a hug, adding, "I won't let anything happen to you."

"I know." She smiled up at him, and he let go of her.

"We should go," he said. "I'll ask Raph to come along." Meli nodded, knowing Raph would. He was nearly as protective of her as Leo was. They headed back out to the pit, and Meli tried to squash the feeling that something was just a bit off with her uncle.


	9. Testing

I don't own the Turtles, or anything remotely related to them or TMNT.

I hope everyone is still enjoying the story. I'm still loving it, anway. Big news for me on a personal level: I bought a new horse, the first one I've owned in ten years. His name is Black Jack, and he's a fourteen year old Missouri Fox Trotter cross gelding. He comes home this Saturday.

STRONGER

CHAPTER NINE: Testing

Leo was very aware of his three brothers as they waited with him on the roof of the building directly opposite of the Trove. He'd asked Raph to accompany Meli and himself to the store, and Donnie and Mikey had at once said they were coming. April had regrettably been unable to, as her father was expecting her home. She had to help him in his lab the following morning, and he wanted her to be awake.

"This is a mistake," Raph said. He was crouched near the edge of the roof. "We can't see into the apartment."

"I know that," Leo said. His voice was testy. "But she hasn't seen him in five years, and he might know where her father is." He'd allowed Meli to do this, against his better judgment. But she'd been excited to see her uncle again, and he knew how important family was.

"She has her emergency button," Donnie said, trying to defuse the situation. "She knows we're right here if she needs us."

The air was calm and bitter tonight, and Leo liked the cold against his skin. It felt good after the heat of the lair during their pillow fight earlier. He smiled, thinking of how easily April and Meli had taken to each other after the initial meeting. April was protective of her surrogate family, and he'd expected her to be wary of Meli and her motivation for being with him. _I wasn't worried, though. They're going to be great friends._

"Anyone think Meli could score us a pizza on the way home?" Mikey asked. He was sitting on the edge of the roof, a dreamy expression on his face. "I'm hungry again."

"You and your stomach," Donnie groaned. He looked over at Leo. "So, the girls seemed to get along well."

"I knew they would," Leo agreed. "And it's good for April to have another girl to hang out with, too."

"If you two are done gossiping, someone's comin' out," Raph said, his voice low. Leo immediately stepped to the edge, his eyes trained on the front door. Meli's uncle stepped out, and turned to hug her. Leo saw her gaze flicker upward for just a second, and smiled. He hoped her talk with him had gone well. Her uncle turned and walked down the street a little ways before getting into a dark blue car and driving off. Leo jumped off the edge and landed on the fire escape platform below before jumping down to the street and crossing to the Trove. Meli held the door open for them all.

"How did it go?" Leo asked, once they were all safely inside and had moved back to her apartment. Raph and Mikey claimed the couch, and Donnie took the chair.

"Okay," she said and turned from him. "You guys thirsty?"

"Yeah," all three brothers chorused. She nodded and headed to the kitchen. Leo frowned and followed, not liking her answer. "You want something?" she asked, opening the fridge door and perusing the contents. "I've got Coke and Mountain Dew."

"Meli." Leo pushed the door closed and touched her shoulder. "What happened?"

\ She straightened and met his gaze, and he was unprepared for the anger that swelled in her light eyes. "He's lying to me. He said he hasn't seen my father in a year, and I know darn well he has. My father, the last time I talked to him, said he'd just seen Rafe. And that was only three months ago." She jerked open the door again and grabbed four Cokes. Slamming the door, she handed one to Leo and carried the other three out to his brothers. Leo followed, feeling uneasy.

"Whoa, easy there," Raph complained as she launched a Coke at him. He looked up at her and frowned. "What happened, anyway?"

She shook her head and sat on the edge of the couch. "My uncle is lying to me about my father." She clenched her fists in her lap. "I don't get it. I mean, they don't get along. I know that. But why lie about the last time you saw him? What's the point?" She sighed and got up. "I need something to drink."

"Sit. I'll get it," Leo instructed. She nodded, and he hurried back to the kitchen and got her a Mountain Dew. She smiled when he handed it to her and took a long drink. "That is suspicious behavior," Leo agreed. He stood next to Donnie, his stance relaxed.

"You shoulda signaled us. We could've beaten the truth out of him," Raph told her.

She gave him a grateful smile. "I'm not sure how the appearance of four ninja turtles would've affected him. But thanks anyway." She stared at the floor for a few moments. "I just want to know if Dad's okay, and I don't understand why Uncle Rafe is being so sketchy about him."

"Did he mention the scroll?" Leo asked, watching her carefully. He didn't like how tired she seemed, or the way her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"No, but he did ask if I'd gotten anything unusual from Dad lately. I told him no." She nudged the carpet with her boot. "He just seemed so...different. Cagey, like he's keeping some big secret from me. And that's not like him." She looked up at Leo. "He wants me to go out with him tomorrow for lunch. I told him I didn't know if that would work."

"What did he say?" Leo asked.

She bit her lip and looked away from him. Leo's protective instincts kicked in and he had to hold them back. "He said he wouldn't take no for an answer, and when I said I might be busy already, he got...well, not rough really, but kind of...scary."

"Scary?" Raph sat forward on the couch. "I'll show him scary. He better not of hurt you." His voice was a growl, and Leo mentally patted his younger brother on the shell. He liked knowing Raph got protective like he did.

"He didn't hurt me. He just got very vocal and pushy." She wouldn't look at any of them, and Mikey reached out and took her left hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"He shouldn't have been mean to you," he said. She nodded and sighed.

"I know. I wish I knew why he's acting this way." She sounded so upset, so lost, that Leo couldn't simply sit by and watch. He looked at Donnie, who immediately nodded. It was time to do something about this.

"Raph, Mikey, you two take Meli home. Donnie and I are going to run some recon tonight," Leo said. Donnie got up and touched the bag slung over his powerful shoulder.

"Wait. You're sending _me _home?" Raph's eyes flashed green fire. "You're taking the techno geek instead?"

"Yes, he is," Donnie said. Anger laced through his voice. He patted his bag. "I have equipment in here to spy on Meli's uncle, and see what he's up to. What do _you_ have?"

Raph got up and advanced toward him. "I've got a pair of sai that says I'm the better brother to take, that's what."

Leo stepped in between them. "Knock it off, both of you. Donnie has the gear, like he said. If we can't get close to Rafe, we'll use his spy tech." He shot a meaningful glance at Meli, a glance he knew Raph read right. "I need you and Mikey to get her safely back to the lair, Raph. We can't let the Wolf get his hands on her."

Raph finally nodded, his gaze never leaving Meli. "Yeah, all right. We can do that."

Meli had remained quiet through their exchange, and Leo put his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him, and he hated the worry and disquiet he saw in her eyes. "It'll be fine, okay? Donnie and I will find your uncle and see what he's up to, if anything. Raph and Mikey will get you back to the lair."

"Okay." She glanced toward the orange and red banded turtles, and they both flashed her reassuring smiles. "Be careful, both of you," she said, turning her eyes back on Leo and Donnie, who was standing beside his oldest brother now.

"We will." Leo kissed her forehead and nodded at Raph. "Get going. We'll cover you until you get to the manhole."

Mikey took hold of Meli's hand and led her toward the back door, with Raph right behind them. Once the two of them had stepped outside, Raph turned to Leo, his eyes dark with seriousness. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he said.

"We won't." Leo paused, searching his younger brother's green eyes. "Make sure she gets home safely, Raph." He tried to convey everything he needed, wanted, to say in those few words. Raph nodded and snapped off a salute.

"No worries, Captain," he said, and turned for the door. Leo and Donnie followed him, and watched as he climbed the fire escape up to the roof, where Mikey and Meli were waiting. Leo led Donnie across the street and they climbed up the opposite building's fire escape. From there they raced across the rooftops, until reaching the manhole cover. They watched as Raph yanked the cover back and allowed Mikey and Meli to climb down first. Leo waved at Raph as he disappeared from sight, and then turned to Donnie, who was waiting with an expectant look on his face.

"I'm guessing you have a plan of attack?" Donnie said.

"I do. I read the license plate number off the car. Think you can find it?" Leo asked. Donnie scoffed.

"Please." He pulled out a small handheld gadget. "What's the number?" Leo gave it to him, and Donnie's fingers raced over the keypad on the device. He frowned for a few seconds, nodded to himself, and hit a few more keys. "Hmm."

"Hmm, as in good or bad?" Leo asked.

"As in the car doesn't exist." Donnie looked at him. "Fake plate, Leo."

_Damn._ Leo scowled and looked down at the pavement far below. "Let's go looking, then. We'll try the old Dragons territory, see if the car turns up there."

"Why the Dragons?"

"A hunch." Leo led the way as they sped across the rooftops, the brisk air catching and tossing the tails of their masks. It felt good to get out and run. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten to do this; even the night he'd rescued Meli from the drug dealers he hadn't been cruising like this. And Donnie was good, quiet company. He kept up without any wisecracks or corny jokes. Ten minutes later, they'd arrived in Purple Dragon territory. They crouched down low on one of the buildings. Directly across from them was a room flooded with bright light. Leo glanced down and smiled. _Got ya._ He nudged Donnie and pointed down; a dark blue sedan just like the one Meli's uncle had driven away in sat hunkered down in the street.

Donnie grinned. "Good call," he whispered. "Your side okay?" Leo nodded and turned his attention back to the building across the street. Donnie took out a pair of goggles and strapped them on, leaning toward the edge of the roof.

"See anything?" Leo asked a few minutes later. Donnie nodded.

"Four guys, one of them might be her uncle. It's hard to tell right now," he said. "But they all look upset over something." He focused again, and Leo scanned the street. He tensed a moment later as a group of Dragons appeared from one of the side doors on the building they were surveying. He touched Donnie's shoulder, drawing his attention down to street-level. The main door to the building burst open, and the other four guys Donnie had been observing rushed out. "That's her uncle, all right," Donnie said, his tone hushed. Rafe was taken to the car, where one of the Dragons pushed him up against it, his face full of anger. Leo strained his ears, trying to catch any words at all. Donnie grinned and held out a pair of headphones to him, then put on a pair. Leo did the same, and gave his younger brother a fist-bump.

"You said you could get it tonight, man," the Dragon in Rafe's face said. "You know he's not gonna be happy about this."  
"I'll get the scroll. I know she has it. Alastair mailed it to her a few weeks ago," Rafe said. Leo's muscles tightened as he listened.

"You'd better." The Dragon backed off, and Rafe brushed off his coat.

"Don't worry your empty head over it. Meli trusts me. I'll get her, and the scroll." Rafe walked around and got into the blue sedan. He drove off, and Leo jerked the headphones off and turned his head to look at Donnie, who looked upset.

"This isn't good," he said. He took both sets of headphones and tucked them into his bag. "Nice guy, her uncle."

"Yeah." Leo wasn't happy with this new development. Meli would be crushed to find out her uncle was indeed lying to her, and also working with the Dragons. _But why? It sounds like someone else is really running this twisted show, so what does Rafe stand to gain?_ It really had been a whim on his part to come down here, and though glad they'd found Rafe, he didn't look forward to telling Meli about it. _Maybe I don't have to. Just knowing her uncle is acting suspiciously might be enough to convince her not to see him again._ "Come on, let's get back."

"She's going to be so upset," Donnie said, and the pain in his voice made Leo hurt physically. "You'll have to tell her tonight."

"I don't know if I'm going to tell her." He walked over to the other side of the building. There was a manhole two blocks up from here that they could use to get back to the lair. "Come on."

"Leo, you have to tell her. She's in danger from her crazy uncle. It's her family. She deserves to know," Donnie said. When Leo didn't respond, he added, "I'll tell her."

Leo turned on his brother, his eyes blazing. "No, you won't. This is _my_ call, as leader of this team and as her boyfriend. Now let's go." His tone was menacing enough that Donnie backed down, and together they skimmed the rooftops at a swift lope until they arrived at the particular manhole they needed to use. Leo let Donnie go first, and then dropped into the darkness after him. He knew Donnie was mad at him, could feel the anger radiating off his body, but he wasn't going to apologize. If Meli knew Rafe was after the scroll, and after her, she would be horrified. All she needed to know was that he was dealing with the Dragons. That would be bad enough, and dangerous enough, that she wouldn't be able to see him again.

They arrived back at the lair fifteen minutes later. Mikey was watching some old '80s movie, and there was no sign of anyone else. Leo approached the youngest. "Where are Meli and Raph?" he asked. Mikey looked up, and the sadness in his blue eyes caught his oldest brother off-guard.

"She was really upset over her uncle. Like _really_ upset, bro. So Raph is teaching her how to box," Mikey said. His voice was low and lacking any of his usual cheerfulness. Leo frowned.

"Boxing? Okay. Thanks, Mikey." He started to walk away, then added, "Don't worry about Meli. She's going to be okay."

"Uh huh." Mikey was watching his movie again, and Leo headed toward the dojo. He saw Donnie watching him, a glimmer of anger simmering in his dark eyes, and scowled. This was his call, and his alone to make. If he wanted to shield Meli from the complete truth, he would. He opened the dojo door and found his girlfriend going at the bag like a demon. Raph was holding it from the opposite side, a look of concern on his face. Leo shut the door hard, drawing their attention.

"Did you find him?" Meli asked, wiping her face on her sleeve. Her hair was coming loose from its ponytail, and he longed to run his hand through it. But first he needed to do this.

"We did. He was with some Purple Dragons, talking," Leo said. Meli's face was instantly overcome with sorrow and fury. He wasn't sure which was the stronger emotion.

"Oh." Her voice was small. Raph came up beside her and put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. He threw a Leo a look of worry. "I can't believe it. He's lying to me, and hanging out with that scum." She clenched her fists tightly. "Did you hear what they were saying?" she asked, focusing on Leo. He swallowed hard.

"They were in the street, down below us. It's hard to hear from up on the roofs," he said. Raph's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth, but Leo warned him off with a quick hand motion. This wasn't the time for his younger brother to question him.

"Okay." She turned away and walked over to the bag. Throwing a quick punch that looked like it would hurt were it to land on a real person, she followed it up by slamming both fists into it. Leo knew it had to hurt her hands, but she did it again. The third time, Raph moved quickly behind her and grabbed them, pinning them to her sides. "Let go of me," she ordered. Her voice was low and cold.

"Not gonna happen," he said. "This doesn't help anything, and you're hurting yourself." He glanced at Leo over his shoulder, and the look was venomous. Leo walked over and motioned for Raph to let her go. She jerked away when he did, and backed up, keeping both turtles at a distance. "Meli, stop," Raph said.

"Don't tell me what to do." She pinned her hot gaze on Leo, who inwardly flinched. "I have every right to be mad, so don't try and talk me down like I'm a child." She held her fists at chest height, and he wasn't so sure she wouldn't take a swing at them if they tried to reach for her. She switched her gaze back to Raph. "And don't tell me beating the bag up doesn't help. It's how _you_ deal with your anger. Why can't I do the same?" Her voice was shaking, and Leo saw the flash of tears in her eyes. From Raph's quiet intake of harsh breath, he knew his brother had seen them, too.

Leo held his hands out to her. "It's okay to be mad," he told her. "We don't want you hurting yourself, that's all. Come on, let's go sit and watch some TV, and calm down."

Her eyes narrowed to dangerously small slits, and he knew he'd just made it worse. "Calm down, Leo? _Calm down_? You just told me my uncle, one of the few family members I have left, is talking with the Dragons, and you want me to calm _down_?"

"Nice work, Captain," Raph muttered below his breath. Leo resisted the urge to punch him. That wouldn't help the situation.  
"Shut up," he growled. "Meli, I'm sorry about your uncle. I really am. I wish he wasn't working with the Dragons. But he is, and-"

"How do you know?" She was watching him intently now, all of her emotion seemingly gone.

"What?" he said. A vague sense of disaster stole over him, and he felt Raph's eyes burning him.

"You said before he was just talking to them, but you couldn't hear what they were saying. But now you say he's working with them? But unless you heard what they were saying, how would you know that?" Meli took a step back from him. "Leo? Did you hear what they were saying?" Her voice had a shake in it that he distinctly didn't like, and he moved toward her, thinking that if he could just get her into his arms, he could calm her, turn her mind away from this horrid conversation.

"Leo, answer her." Raph had stepped into his path, blocking him from Meli. His arms were crossed over his plastron, and his body hummed with restrained fury. Leo took a deep breath. He had to be very careful here. If he admitted he'd heard the conversation, he risked not only Meli being distraught, but bodily harm from Raph.

"Tell them." Donnie's hard voice came from behind him, and he drew another breath, letting it out slowly. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Mikey standing next to Donnie, looking almost scared. This was not a good sight. "Tell them, or I will," Donnie said.

"Leo?" Meli was standing next to Raph, whose very posture suggested he wasn't above beating the daylights out of his older brother if what he had to say hurt her more than she already was.

"We heard everything they said." He gestured to Donnie. "Donnie has headphones that magnify the sound in a surrounding area." He brought his gaze to Meli's, locking eyes with her and ignoring everyone else. "Your uncle wants the scroll, Meli, and you. It sounds like he's working for someone else. He knows your father sent you the scroll." Though she'd never said her father's name was Alastair, Leo couldn't believe it was anyone else but him. He watched as she covered her mouth, horror rushing through her eyes. Raph immediately reached around her, drawing her in tight to his side, and Leo stepped forward. If anyone was going to comfort her now, it was going to be him.

But the look in his younger brother's eyes brought him up short. "Don't," Raph warned, and reached down to touch the right sai in his belt. Leo's temper leapt inside him, but he respected his brother's own temper enough to stand right where he was.

"Meli, I'm sorry." Leo didn't know what else to say, what else he _could_ say. Nothing was going to make this easier on her. "I only wanted to protect you."

"Nice job," Raph growled. When Leo shifted forward, Raph's face twisted into a snarl. "Come closer. I dare ya." Meli didn't look at Leo. She kept her face pressed tight to Raph's side, and Leo could see her shoulders shaking. This hadn't gone at all the way he'd wanted it to.

"What has happened?" Splinter strode into the dojo, his countenance at once soothing and frightening. He stopped and faced Leo. "Leonardo?"

_Always my responsibility._ Leo fought back his instant frustration. "Meli suspected her uncle of lying to her, so Donnie and I went after him. We found him with several Purple Dragons, and listened to them." He paused; it was so silent in the room his breathing sounded like drums to him. "Her uncle is after her and the scroll. It sounded like he's working for someone else." He bowed his head, signaling the end of his explanation. Splinter rubbed his hand over his chin and turned to Raph and Meli. His dark eyes softened.

"I am truly sorry, Meli, for this turn of events." Splinter took a step toward them, and Leo saw Raph soften his stance a little. "We will not let your uncle harm you, or use the scroll. You have my word." He spoke in a calm tone that belied his stern expression. Leo figured the expression was for Raph, anyway.

Meli turned her face toward Splinter, but didn't attempt to leave the comfort of Raph's arm. Jealousy surged through Leo, and he had to fight it off. This wasn't about him or Raph. It was about Meli, who needed them both. "Thank you, Master," she said. Her voice was hoarse and full of aching sadness that tore at Leo's heart. He heard a soft noise behind him and glanced over his shoulder. Mikey was looking suspiciously close to crying, and Donnie stood close to him, one arm slung over his younger brother's shoulders.

Splinter inclined his head toward her. "You are most welcome," he said. "I have prepared a space for you for sleeping, if you are tired."

This seemed to perk up all of his brothers, Leo noticed. There weren't very many unused spaces in the lair, so it stood to reason that maybe Meli's sleeping area was close to one of their own. He saw her look toward him, and smiled, hoping to reassure her somehow. He still held to the idea that she hadn't needed to know about how deep her uncle was in with the Dragons, but knew he was the only one who thought this. _I only want to protect her, keep her safe._ His role in their little family had always been the protector, from the time they'd been very young. It meshed well with being the leader; he always tried to find the best solution to a problem as to minimize injury.

"Thank you," Meli said. "I'm not sure I can sleep right now, but I know I will later."

Splinter nodded. "Your space is near Leonardo's," he said. Raph's mouth dropped open but nothing came out. It was just as well; Leo didn't want to listen to his younger brother gripe.

Meli blushed, the soft rose color contrasting with the darkness of her hair. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." Splinter turned to go, but not before giving each of his sons a look-over. He ended with Leo, who fought off his own blush. He knew how much Splinter trusted him, and this was just another way of showing it. The tall rat left the dojo, leaving the door open behind him.

Meli looked up at Raph, who met her eyes with a look of compassion that his brothers and father had rarely witnessed. He gave her shoulders a tight squeeze, glanced toward Leo, and dropped his arm from around her. She stretched up and brushed her lips across his cheek. His green eyes widened and he ducked his head. Leo heard chuckles from behind him, and knew that the worst of the tension was behind them now. He held his hand out to Meli, and she came to him, her eyes still sad but a tiny smile on her lips.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, drawing her tightly to his plastron, his lips tickling her ear. "I thought I was protecting you."

"I know. I'm sorry, too." She looked up at him, and he touched her face, his hand light.

"He won't get to you," he said, and the iron in his voice made her shiver against him. "Let's go relax," he said, and this time, she nodded. Donnie and Mikey walked out ahead of them, and Raph followed. Leo hoped she knew it would always be this way – his brothers were hers now, too, and they would do whatever they had to do to keep her safe. He looked over his shoulder and met Raph's eyes. Raph's expression had lightened, and he smirked at Leo.

"Way to go, Captain," he said, jerking his head toward Meli. Leo's face colored; he knew exactly what his younger brother was referring to, and hoped that she hadn't overheard him.

He led her to the couch and helped her settle in. "Are you hungry?" he asked. Mikey immediately plopped down next to her, and she smiled when he laid his head on her shoulder.

"I could go for some popcorn," she told Leo.

"Popcorn. Yum," Mikey said, a silly grin on his face. "That does sound good."

"Do you guys have any?" Meli asked.

"I don't think so," Leo said, shaking his head. "But we could go get some." He looked over at Raph, who shook his head.

"No way. I'm stayin' right here," he said. "But you could send Donnie and Mikey."

"Donnie's talking to April," Mikey informed him. "But I'll go with Meli to get some." He turned to her and smiled his most engaging smile. "You want to go with me?"

Meli looked at Leo, who shook his head. "No, she's staying here. You and I can go, though. Come on."

"Aw..." Mikey got back off the couch, and Leo rolled his eyes. _Remember, you're doing this for Meli, not for Mikey._ He leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead, eliciting a gagging noise from Raph, which he ignored.

"Hurry back," she whispered, and he nodded.

"Don't worry – I don't plan on leaving you alone for long," he said.

"Hey, she's not alone. She's got me," Raph said. He was reading one of his precious comic books, and pretending not to pay attention to what was happening, but Leo knew he was.

"Yeah, that's what worries me," Leo said, his tone dry. "Come on, Mikey." The two of them left the lair, after Leo procured some of the petty cash Splinter kept around for things such as popcorn. He was never sure where their Sensei got the money; Donnie occasionally sold some of his tech stuff on EBay, but they never really needed money. April brought food all the time, and he wasn't sure Dr. O'Neil didn't give her extra money to spend on them, too. They'd also dressed in some of the clothes April had given them; Leo didn't mind the oversized garments as much as Mikey did, who was even now commenting on how stupid they looked.

"Well, Meli wanted popcorn. We can't go into a store without clothes," Leo told him. "So get over it."

"Easy for you to say. At least your pants aren't dragging on the ground. I'm too short for these!" Mikey protested. "I look ridiculous."

"It's for Meli," Leo reminded him again. Mikey sighed.

"Okay. But just for her."

Leo chuckled and stopped beneath the manhole cover close to a local gas station. He didn't know what kind of popcorn Meli liked, but figured something that was already made was a good bet. They climbed out and Mikey settled the cover back down gently before following Leo across the street and into the station. There was a brief argument as to what kind they should get; Leo finally won and grabbed cheddar cheese, despite the fact that Mikey wanted the caramel. They paid for it and dashed out, Leo letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. It was always nerve-wracking for him to be out in the open like this; thank goodness the clerk hadn't been at all interested in anything except the money.

Ten minutes later they vaulted the turnstiles and found Meli curled up sleeping on the couch, with Raph keeping a protective eye on her from his chair. Leo smiled and set the popcorn down before sitting next to her. She was a pretty girl, and so innocent in her slumber. He touched her hair, enjoying the silkiness of it. Mikey took a handful of popcorn and sat in one of the bean bag chairs, a big yawn swelling over him. A quiet calm descended over the pit, and Leo leaned back into the old couch and closed his eyes.

At this particular moment, everything was right in his world, and he intended on enjoying it.


	10. Curse

I don't own the Turtles, Splinter or April. Oh that I did!

Some shout-outs are in order: ScarletDevil1503, Dondena, BubblyShell22, Amy Hamato, little-butterfly-wings, Drusilla52, and LoverofLattes, thank you for all your support so far. And I know there are others reading, too, and to you all I say thank you! Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows – I really appreciate each and every one

STRONGER

CHAPTER TEN: CURSE

"Maybe we can just get rid of it," April suggested later the next morning. She had dropped by to see how things were going, and, Leo suspected, to hang out in Donnie's lab with him. They were all sitting around contemplating the scroll and what to do now that Meli's uncle was definitely an enemy.

"Like what, burn it?" Raph asked, glancing at her.

"Sure," April said. She looked at Meli. "I mean, there's no attachment to it or anything right?"

Meli looked sick at the suggestion. "No, not at all. I really wish the stupid mail service had just lost it." She leaned her head on Leo's shoulder, and he squeezed her hand, hoping to lend some much-needed support. He still felt bad about trying to hide the truth about her uncle from her; he knew now that hadn't been the wisest thing to do.

"Well, let's get the scroll and get a lighter," Raph said.

"I'll get a lighter," Donnie said, heading for his lab. Leo had no doubts that his younger brother had several of them stashed away.

"Yeah, but the scroll is in Splinter's room," Mikey said. "Who's going to get that?"

Raph looked at Leo, who shook his head. "Come on, Captain, it's all you. You've always said you're the sneakiest one on the team." He said this with a straight face, but mirth flashed in his eyes.

"I did not say I was the 'sneakiest' one, Raph," Leo argued. "I just said my stealth tactics are better than yours." Raph rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, right."

"Well, _someone _has to get it," Mikey said, and cringed when both older brothers stared at him. "Aw come on, I don't want to!"

"Can one of you really sneak into Splinter's room without him knowing?" Meli asked, sounding seriously doubtful. Leo and Raph exchanged looks. Leo wasn't sure either of them could pull it off, but he was at least willing to try.

"Here's a lighter," Donnie said, leaping over the bench that lined the back of the pit and vaulting onto the couch next to April. "But who's going to get the scroll?"

"Either Raph or Leo," April told him, motioning to his two older brothers. Donnie shook his head.

"Better let Leo do it," he suggested, and Raph threw a pillow at his head.

"I can do it," Raph said, getting up from the bean bag chair he was burrowed down into.

"You can do what, my son?" The cool, calm voice of their Sensei silenced the group, and they all stared down at the floor, not one of them wanting to admit what they'd been thinking of doing. Leo wasn't even sure it would've been possible to get the scroll from Splinter's room – their master had the sharpest ears of anyone they knew, and he wouldn't have taken kindly to them rooting around in his personal space.

It was Meli who finally spoke up. "Well, we thought maybe we could destroy the scroll by burning it. If we did, then my uncle would have no use for me, and I'd be safe," she said. Her voice choked a little on the "no use" part, and Leo instantly wished he could take away the pain of the betrayal. He leaned into her, trying to offer his physical self as support. She gave his forearm a squeeze in return.

"I see." Splinter looked at each of them in turn, and Leo hated feeling like they'd been caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar. "The scroll is protected by a curse that was placed upon it at the time of its writing," Splinter said. He rested his gaze on Meli.

"We could try it," Raph suggested.

"No." Splinter set his walking stick down hard on the floor, making them jump. "If someone attempts to destroy it, the curse will become active, and avenge the loss of the scroll." His voice was grave, and Leo tried to quell the shudder that swept down his spine.

"What does that mean?" Donnie asked. He had reached for April's hand, and they sat close together on the other end of the couch.

Splinter shook his head. "That is all I know about the curse. I suspect it would mean nothing good would come of trying to burn it."

"But could we bury it? Or sink it?" Meli asked. "I mean, we are in the old subway tunnels. If we buried it, no one would be able to find it, right? And that wouldn't be destroying it."

"Makes perfect sense to me," Leo said, agreeing. "Sensei?"

Splinter was considering, rubbing his chin. "Burying it would work, yes, as long as it remains buried." He met Leo's gaze. "It would have to be very deep into the tunnels, very deep into the earth."

"And then we wouldn't have to worry about Meli, right?" Mikey asked, glancing around at all of them. "I mean, her uncle couldn't get the scroll, so…" He left off, eager for someone to tell him things would be okay.

"That's the idea," Leo said, nodding. He got to his feet and looked at Splinter. "Raph and I can take it, Sensei, and make sure it's gone for good." _We should've thought about this before. I guess I didn't because I've been so focused on protecting Meli, but this makes sense. _"Raph?"

"Let's go," he said. "Where's the scroll, Sensei?"

"I will get it. Please wait," Splinter said. He motioned to Leo to walk with him; Leo smiled reassuringly at Meli before following his father toward his room. Splinter went to the walk-in closet Donnie had designed for him some years ago, and slid open a small panel in the wall. Leo watched as he retrieved the scroll from within the hole, and waited for him to hand it over. Splinter studied the scroll for a moment, and then looked at Leo. "You realize how important this task is, Leonardo. No one must ever find it again," he said. His voice was low, determined.

Leo bowed his head. "I understand, Sensei. And don't worry – Raph and I will make sure it gets lost, permanently."

Splinter handed it to him, and Leo hurried out to the pit. Raph was waiting with a shovel; Leo figured Donnie had had that stashed away in his lab, as well. It never ceased to amaze him what his brother salvaged and kept. "Okay. Let's go," he said. Meli got up and came to him, wrapping her arms around him. He smiled at her. "Don't worry. We'll take care of it," he said.

"I know." She rested her cheek against his plastron, and he kissed the top of her head, giving her a tight hug. She stepped back and Mikey immediately put his hand on her shoulder. Leo nodded to him, glad that she had his youngest brother to look after her.

He and Raph headed out, vaulting the turnstiles with an ease grown out of fathomless repetition. They walked toward the tunnel that would take them away from the lair and toward the center of the old station that had been long shut down. From there, Leo knew, they could find a place deep and dark enough to bury the troublesome piece of parchment he clutched in his hand. _I hope this takes care of it. Without the scroll, Rafe and whoever he's working for will have no reason to kidnap Meli._ He scowled, thinking of all the trouble the scroll had caused his girlfriend.

"What if this doesn't do it?" The words were spoken in a hushed tone, as if Raph didn't dare voice his doubt too loudly. Leo glanced at him. "I mean, you know. What if someone else finds it?" Raph looked over at him, and Leo saw his brother's concern shining in his green eyes.

"We're going to bury it where no one else will think to look," Leo assured him. "I'm not going to let someone else get a hold of it." _I won't let someone else put Meli in danger._ Keeping her safe had become his top priority; it was amazing to him how quickly she had become the most important person in his life, even more than his brothers. _I finally know how Donnie feels when he's with April._ It was a feeling so intense that his whole being reverberated with it. Raph was silent as they headed further into the underground abyss of tunnels, and Leo was grateful to him for that. Sometimes it was nice to have quiet, and not have to fill every second with talking.

After a good half-hour of alternately running and walking, they finally reached the place where Leo felt it was safe to bury the scroll. A deep pool of murky water stood where an old set of tracks ended, and Leo carried the parchment over to the edge. Raph crossed his arms and stared at him. "Really? In the pool? That's not exactly burying it," he said.

"There's an underwater cave, remember? We can bury in there," Leo said. As younger turtles, they'd often ventured here for swimming, as the pool was quite large. Leo and Donnie had discovered the cave once while diving, and had visited it several times since. "Come on."

Raph said something beneath his breath that Leo really didn't want to comment on, and instead dove into the deep water. There was a splash behind him as Raph followed. The cave was at least twenty feet down; Leo found it with no problem and swam into it and then upward. He took a deep breath as he surfaced and swam to the little beach where he intended to bury the scroll. Raph pulled the shovel from where he'd stuck it on his shell, and looked at Leo.

"Over here," Leo said, leading his brother over to the corner of the small beach. Tucked back against the rock wall there was a small alcove; he figured this would be the best place for the cursed parchment he clenched in his fist. Raph started digging.

Ten minutes later, both brothers studied the hole. "Think its deep enough?" Raph asked, sounding uncertain.

Leo did some calculations in his head, and nodded. "I think so." He knelt on one knee and rolled the scroll as tightly as he could before shoving it down into the hole. After making sure it was at the very bottom, he scooped the sand back over it, then stood and nodded to Raph, who used the shovel to fill in the remainder of the hole. They made sure when they were done that the sand looked undisturbed, though Leo doubted anyone would be able to find it, or even find the cave.

"So it's done, then. Meli should be out of danger, right?" Raph asked, looking at him. "I mean, without the scroll, this Wolf guy can't bring death and destruction now."

"Right." But even as he said it, Leo wondered if she really would be safe. "Once her uncle knows the scroll is gone, there shouldn't be any reason for him to go after her." It sounded nice in theory, but he wasn't quite ready to let her go home again by herself. He could tell Raph wasn't, either.

They dove back into the pool and swam down and out, then up toward the surface. The water was cool, but not cold enough to chill them, and it felt good gliding along Leo's skin. He'd forgotten how much he enjoyed swimming here. Once they surfaced, he and Raph climbed out and started jogging back the way they'd come. He was eager to get back to Meli; she'd been too quiet ever since waking earlier in the morning, and he wanted to spend some time with her alone so they could talk. _Hmph, as if that'll happen. _His brothers were all very attached to her already, though with April there, the attachment was spread out. _Maybe we can get ten minutes alone._

"So what's next then?" Raph asked a while later. They were only a few minutes from the lair now.

"Letting her uncle know she doesn't have the scroll," Leo said. He was determined to end the situation and get Meli back to her normal lifestyle. _Though I guess having a ninja turtle boyfriend isn't exactly normal._ The thought made him smile; Meli didn't seem the type of girl who really needed or wanted a completely normal way of living. "I'd like to get the Trove put back together, too."

"We can all help clean it up," Raph agreed. They jumped the turnstiles and ran down the stairs into the pit, where the others were gathered watching a movie. "What is _this_ crap?" Raph said. He stared with disgust at the TV.

"It's called _27 Dresses_, and it's _not_ crap," April said.

"A chick flick? Man, April, your taste in movies is goin' down the tube," Raph told her. He took out the shovel and waved it at Donnie. "Here."

"Thanks." Donnie stood up and took the tool. "You guys find a good place?"

"We did," Leo said, glancing at Raph. They'd already decided not to tell anyone else where they'd buried the scroll; Leo felt the burden of that particular knowledge should be theirs alone to shoulder. Raph had immediately agreed.

April glared at Raph. "My taste is not going down the tube. This is a very funny movie. Right, Mikey?" She looked at the other end of the couch, where the youngest turtle was curled up with a blanket and his frightfully old teddy bear.

"It's _awesome_, dude," Mikey said, not bothering to throw his older brother a look. Raph rolled his eyes and turned away. Leo caught his eye and nodded toward Meli, who was sitting in the old recliner, her face solemn. She looked tired and on-edge, and Leo wanted to take that away from her. Raph nodded and moved toward her. Leo watched as he knelt next to the chair and reached to touch Meli's forearm.

"So where did you bury it?" Donnie asked. He'd moved closer to Leo so they could talk in low tones. Leo sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"We decided not to tell anyone else," he said. He watched Donnie's eyes widen, a flicker of disappointment going through them. "It's nothing against you, Don, or Mikey. We just think it's for the best if we're the only two who know." He spoke gently, not wanting to hurt his younger brother's feelings.

"It's okay, Leo," Donnie said. His voice was quiet, and Leo heard plainly his brother's dejection, but he wasn't going to change his mind. The burden of knowing where something so devastating was buried was heavy enough that only the two oldest should have to deal with it.

"Leo." He turned and saw Raph tip his head toward Meli. She looked up at him, and his breath caught in his throat. She looked like a wilted flower, like someone close to her had just disappeared without saying goodbye. He went to her, taking Raph's place next to the chair. He heard Raph call to the others, felt Mikey touch the top of his head, and glanced over his shoulder to see them heading toward the kitchen.

_I owe you one, Raph._ He reached out and touched Meli's face, his fingers gentle and caressing. "Hey, what's wrong? We got rid of the scroll. No one will be able to find it," he assured her.

"That's good." She didn't look at him, and her voice was listless. He frowned.

"You look tired," he said. "Come on. You should lie down for awhile." He took her elbow and tugged gently. Meli got up, not saying anything, and followed him to his room. He saw, from the corner of his eye, Raph watching them, and threw his brother a worried look. Raph nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen. Leo opened his bedroom door and led Meli over to a soft-looking mattress just a few inches off the ground. It wasn't really permanent, but he knew it would be sufficient. Splinter would make sure his new surrogate daughter would be comfortable. Meli laid down, and he sat next to her and stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said. "You didn't ask for any of this, Meli. And I'm glad to help you, to take care of you." He reached out and drew the heavy blanket over her, then bent and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. "Sleep. I'll check on you in an hour or so, okay?"

"Okay." She closed her eyes, and he stood, watching her for a few seconds before leaving and closing his door. Raph was waiting for him.

"She all right?" he asked.

Leo sighed. "No, not really. I think she's just tired. She's been through a lot in the last couple of days."

"Well, she doesn't have to worry about the scroll anymore," Raph said. "Come on. Mikey and April are making stuff." He turned toward the kitchen.

"Stuff? As in..." Leo made a continuing gesture.

"Yeah, as in 'stuff.' Don't ask," Raph said, smirking. Leo rolled his eyes and followed him into the kitchen. April and Mikey were talking in very animated voices, and Donnie was tinkering with a gadget of some sort. Leo sat at the table and Raph handed him a bottle of water. At least whatever the two were making smelled really good. Mikey had gotten better at cooking, and April had had a lot to do with that. If she was making it, it was likely to not only smell good, but taste good, too.

Splinter stepped into the room, and Leo saw his eyes go around the room, making a mental note of who was there and who wasn't. He then motioned to Leo, who got up to follow him out. Splinter led him over to the tree that grew in the lair, and waited for him to speak. "We buried it in a place no one can find," Leo said. He didn't really want to tell Splinter either; he knew his father didn't need his protecting, but felt he should still do it.

"Very good. Meli is not feeling well?" Splinter asked.

"I think its fatigue," Leo said. "She's sleeping right now."

"That is best for her," Splinter agreed. "You should eat something, and relax." His words were soft, but Leo knew them for the command they were.

He bowed. "Hai, Sensei." They didn't speak Japanese very much, but he liked to use it once in a while, seeing as his father was Japanese. It seemed like something honorable to do.

Splinter smiled and walked away, and Leo went back to the kitchen, where April and Mikey were still cooking and Raph was bugging Donnie. A small grin touched the corners of his mouth; he was happy to be a part of this small family. It certainly wasn't ordinary, and that's what he liked about it. Although, sometimes he wished it were a bit more normal. He checked the time on his T-phone. _Space Heroes, here I come._ He moved quietly to the TV and took out one of the Space Heroes DVDS, sliding it into the player. He settled on the couch and prepared to watch Captain Ryan lead an expedition on a new, uncharted planet, but found his eyes closing of their own free will. _Maybe just a little nap..._

"Leo!"

He bolted upright, instantly reaching for the katana that should've been there and wasn't. Finding no weapon, he struck out and heard a cry of anger. "Knock it off and wake up!" Leo focused for a second, and found he had gotten a hit in on Raph, who was scowling and muttering.

"What is it?" Leo asked, his scowl matching his brother's. It wasn't often he allowed himself the luxury of a nap, and he hated being woken up.

Raph's expression switched suddenly to almost frantic. "It's Meli. She's having a nightmare, I think." It was then that Leo heard his girlfriend's panicked cries, and ran for his room, leaping out of the pit and hitting his door on the run. He threw it open and saw her thrashing on the mattress, still in the throes of the dream.

"Meli. Meli, calm down. It's okay," he soothed, kneeling on the bed and reaching for her. She resisted him, but her cries became softer, and he pulled her into his arms. "Shh, it's okay, wake up," he encouraged. He sensed Raph by the door, and knew his brother would help if needed. "Meli, wake up," he said, a little louder. She jerked and her eyes flashed open to reveal complete terror. She lunged suddenly and threw her arms around his neck, clutching at him tightly. "Shh, it's okay now," he said, holding her close to his plastron. Her body shook with long tremors, and he rubbed her back with one hand, murmuring quietly to her to all the while.

"Leo. Leo," she whispered, her breathing ragged and heaving in her chest. He held her tighter, taking care he didn't hurt her.

"It's all right now. It was just a dream," he said. His tone was low, soothing, cajoling. It was just about the same tone he'd used for Mikey, when he'd had bad dreams while they were growing up. "I'm right here," he added, reassuring her of her safety.

A minute or so later she seemed to have gotten things back under control, and eased back in his arms so she could see his face. Hers was pale, her hazel eyes huge. He wiped at a few tears clinging to her eyelashes. "Want to talk about it?" he asked gently. "It might help." He glanced over and saw Raph still at the door; his brother didn't look inclined to leave yet, and Leo didn't ask him to go. Raph was titanium-tough, but it bothered him when the girls were upset or frightened, or just plain out-of-sorts.

Meli sniffled and took a deep breath. "I was walking in a tunnel. It was pitch black; I couldn't see anything, not even my hand in front of me." She paused and wiped her sleeve across her eyes. "I didn't want to keep going, but something was, I don't know, _pulling_ me along. It felt like a really strong force. And then it dragged me into a pool of water." She shuddered, the motion violent, and Leo hugged her, trying to ease the panic he saw in her eyes. "I know how to swim, even though I'm not super great at it, but the weird force grabbed me and pulled me under. It wouldn't let go; it kept dragging me down, and I saw an underwater cave." Leo sucked in a sharp breath and threw Raph a worried look. Raph's eyes were wide, his arms hanging at his sides. "It felt like the force wanted me to go into the cave, but I couldn't hold my breath anymore, and it wouldn't let me go." Meli choked back a sob and buried her face into Leo's neck. He held her tight to his chest.

"It's okay, it's okay," he soothed. _No wonder she was thrashing so much - she thought she was drowning._ His chest ached at the thought. "I'm sorry your dream was so bad, love." The pet name rolled off his tongue with no prior thought, and he found it fit her extremely well. "I'd never let anything like that happen to you, I promise," he said fiercely. "I'll always be there to save you." She nodded her head against him.

"I know," she said. "I was screaming for you." She shook her head, a half-desperate chuckle escaping her mouth. "Which was a bad idea, by the way. Just made me drown," the word slipped out as a half-sob, "faster." Leo kissed the top of her head, and held her as close to him as he could, not knowing what else he could do to make the horror of the nightmare go away. He rubbed her back and her arms and nuzzled her neck, wishing mightily he could just make the memory of the dream fade forever. Raph had slipped from the room, and Leo knew Meli's nightmare was eating away at him. It was eating at him, too - the place she'd described was exactly where they'd buried the scroll.

_But how? How would that be possible? We didn't say a word about the pool or cave to anyone when we got back. _He had a sudden, sickening thought that made his stomach lurch in protest. _The curse. Sensei said if the scroll was destroyed, the scroll would react. But we didn't destroy it - we only buried it. Was that enough for it to animate the curse? _Cold horror swept through him, and he hugged Meli tighter to him, until he felt her struggle and quickly eased up, not wanting to add to her fright. "Sorry," he said, his voice soft.

"Its okay," she assured him. She kissed his cheek, and the softness of her lips was a balm to his frazzled nerves. "I'd rather you held me tightly than not at all." She yawned, and he realized she was probably still exhausted, and even more so, because of the traumatic dream.

"I don't suppose you could sleep?" he asked. "You probably didn't get a lot of rest."

"I guess I could," she said, nodding. She met his concerned eyes, and asked, "But would you stay with me for a little bit?"

"Of course." He laid down on his side and let her snuggle in close to his plastron. He pulled the blanket over them both, and wrapped his arm around her, reassuring her she was indeed safe and sound. It only took a few minutes for her breathing to even out, and he waited another fifteen before sliding out of the bed. Some of his reasoning was that he wanted to be sure she was well and truly asleep, and some of it was because he really enjoyed holding her like that. He looked her over once more time and slipped noiselessly out the door.

Raph was waiting expectantly for him, arms crossed over his plaston, an anxious look on his face. "Is she okay? That was a really bad nightmare."

Leo nodded and beckoned to his brother to follow him. They walked into the dojo and he shut the door before turning to Raph. "She's going to be okay. She fell back asleep." He rubbed a hand over his head. "What really concerns me is that she described the exact same place we buried the scroll."

"I know." Raph glanced toward his punching bag. "But how would she know that? We never said a word."

"No." Leo took a couple of deep cleansing breaths. He knew Raph wouldn't like what he was about to say next. "I think maybe the scroll is reacting to being buried. The force Meli mentioned could be something supernatural, something reaching out to her through her dream." He waited to see what Raph thought, and didn't have to wait long.

"That's stupid. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, Leo." His voice was hushed, but full of disbelief. "If you're talking about the curse, it shouldn't be awake, or whatever, because we didn't destroy the scroll." His face was screwed up into a nasty scowl.

"I know. But Meli's blood-bound to it, remember? Maybe it feels threatened, and wants her to find it and get it out of there," Leo argued. It didn't make complete sense to him, either, but it was really all he had to go on.

"You're talking about it like it's _alive_. It's just a stupid piece of paper."

"Is it? You don't think something that has the potential to destroy the whole world could possibly be living? Sensei himself said if it were destroyed, it would enact the curse to avenge itself," Leo said. He tried to keep his voice level, his tone semi-friendly, but he could tell Raph's temper was about to blow.

Raph threw his hands up into the air. "Oh sure, so the scroll is afraid of the dark and being buried underwater, and it's calling out for help to some girl through her dream." He glared at Leo. "Is that about right?"

"_'Some girl?'_" Leo's voice rose to match his brother's. "Is that really what you think of Meli? She's just some random girl?" He saw Raph's hands go for the sais, and reached automatically for his katana, cursing when his hands brushed empty air. "Where are my weapons?" he demanded.

"April thought you looked uncomfortable, so she took them and put them away," Raph growled. "And you know damn well I don't think of Meli that way. I don't think of _either_ girl that way!" He lunged at Leo, who backflipped out of the way and rushed to the back wall of the dojo where his katana hung neatly. It spoke volumes about his own exhaustion that April had been able to unsheath them from his shell without him knowing. Her kunoichi training definitely played into her own stealth tactics. Grabbing them, he spun to counter the attack he was sure was coming, but saw that Raph had sheathed the sais and was staring at the floor. Sighing, he sheathed his own weapons and walked over to his younger brother.

"I'm sorry. I know you don't. And I know what I said sounds crazy, but what else have we got to go on?" Leo said. He spoke quietly, his head hanging. "I'm scared, Raph, okay? I'd do anything to keep Meli safe, and right now, if there _is _a supernatural force coming after her, how do I stop it?" He took a breath, trying to calm his heartrate. He didn't admit fear easily, and almost never to Raph. Donnie was usually his confidante with things like that, because he knew Donnie wouldn't laugh or mock him. But he wanted, needed, Raph to see how hard of a time he was having with this, to see how much Meli meant to him. He needed help.

A few moments later, he felt himself being drawn into a tight hug. Barely able to breathe, he hugged his younger brother back, recognizing the hug for the ultra-rare gift that it was. He let Raph judge the length of the hug, and was surprised when it lasted longer than a heartbeat. Then Raph let go and stepped back, and Leo smiled, unable to talk. "It'll be okay," Raph told him, his voice gruff. "We're in this together. And I've got Meli's back, too. You know I wouldn't let some whack curse hurt her." A sly smirk shadowed the corners of his mouth as he said it, and Leo laughed, the sound breaking the somberness of the moment.

"Thanks, Raphael," he said. "I know you wouldn't." He looked toward the dojo doors. "I think we'd better bring Splinter in on this now, tell him about Meli's nightmare."

"That means he'll know where we buried the scroll," Raph said.

"I know. I'd rather he didn't, but we can't really give him the details of the dream without him finding out the location," Leo said. "I mean, I could omit the part with the pool, but it's pretty integral to what was happening." His eyes narrowed into sapphire slits. "Whatever the force was, it tried to _drown_ her, Raph. It meant her harm. I know it was only a dream, but what if it tries to do it when she's awake? We have to tell Splinter about it."

Raph's emerald eyes flashed with fury when Leo mentioned Meli almost drowning. "Yeah, I know." He gestured toward the door. "But you tell him about it. I'm not sure I can keep my temper under control."

Leo snorted as he reached the door and opened it. "And you think _I_ can? She's my girlfriend, Raph."

"You're the master of controlling tempers," Raph countered. They left the dojo and headed toward Splinter's quarters, where Leo was sure he was reading. The others were involved in some complicated-looking video game; April and Donnie both glanced at them, questioning looks on their faces, and he signaled he'd tell them later. They both nodded and turned back to the game, and he stopped at his Master's door, gearing himself up for telling Splinter about Meli's nightmare, and the subsequent theory he'd come up with.


	11. Safe

I don't own the Turtles (wish I did). So no money from me you will make.

Happy New Year to all you fabulous TMNT fans :-) Hope your Christmas was amazing and relaxing.

STRONGER

CHAPTER ELEVEN: SAFE

When Meli woke up and glanced at her phone, she saw that she had slept for nearly three hours. She yawned and stretched, wondering why Leo hadn't come and woken her sooner. _I suppose he wanted me to really get some rest, especially after that horrible nightmare._ She shuddered and hugged herself for a moment. The nightmare had seemed so _real_, and she wasn't sure she would've woken if Leo hadn't come and shaken her out of it. She got up and headed out of his room. It was quiet in the lair; there was no one in the pit, and she heard no noise coming from the dojo. Her stomach rumbled, and she walked toward the kitchen. She paused when she heard low voices emanating from it, and a chill went through her when she heard her name mentioned.

"Hey," she said as she walked in, deciding it was best not to hang out and eavesdrop. Everyone was in the kitchen; Leo immediately got up from the chair he'd been sitting in and came to her, wrapping her in a tight hug that felt as if he were loathe to let her go.

"Hi," he said, and directed her into the chair Donnie had pulled out for her. "How do you feel?" Leo asked, sitting next to her.

"Better," she said. She glanced at the others; none of them seemed inclined to talk, and she wondered what they'd been discussing before she came in. "What's up?"

Leo and Raph exchanged looks, and Splinter looked at them both, as if they all shared a secret. She wasn't so sure they didn't. "Sensei?" Leo looked to Splinter, who gave a small nod. Leo turned to Meli and reached to take both of her hands, his eyes locked on hers. "We think that the nightmare you had is related to the scroll," he said. He squeezed her hands gently.

Meli fought back a wave of nausea. She'd hoped that the boys burying the cursed piece of paper would put an end to the problems, and didn't want to think about it affecting her dreams. "How so?" she asked, and glanced at Raph. His eyes had an intense light in them, one that she'd begun associating with him being worried.

"We think the scroll," Leo took a deep breath, "doesn't like where Raph and I put it, and it's reaching out to you in your dreams." He leaned closer to her. "I know that sounds really odd, but Sensei agrees that might be the reason for how intense your nightmare was."

"It sounded like a nasty one," April said. She was sitting across the table from Meli, and her blue eyes were full of concern. "Leo explained what happened."

Meli nodded. "It was really scary," she said. She looked back at Leo. "But you didn't destroy the scroll. I don't understand why it would try to drown me in a dream." She wanted to understand; she really wanted them to be wrong, and for the nightmare to have been a one-time deal, but she knew there'd been flashes of panic in her dreams in the last three hours. They hadn't been bad enough to wake her, but she knew something was likely going on. She hadn't had nightmares in a long time, not since her mother had died..."Oh," she breathed, a sudden rationalization hitting her.

"What is it?" Leo asked. His grip on her hands tightened.

She stared at their joined hands for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "My mom, Elise, died when I was twelve." She slowly lifted her face to Leo's, and tried to control her voice so it wouldn't shake. "She and my father were on vacation, visiting some tropical island." She'd never been told the name of it; she suspected her father wasn't able to say it's name without choking up, and she'd never wanted to know. "My mom loved the water. Even when she was a little girl, her favorite thing to do was go swimming." Meli could feel tears gathering at the back of her throat, and focused on pushing them down. She wasn't going to cry while she told them this story.

"Meli?" Leo touched her face. His hand, rough with calluses born from years of ninjutsu training, was gentle. She looked up into his eyes, and saw the beginning glimmer of understanding. Around them it was quiet; no one even seemed to be breathing.

_I shouldn't expect anything different from a bunch of ninjas_, she thought. "I'm okay," she whispered, her attention drawn back to Leo. He nodded, but she knew if she so much as let a single tear show, he'd have her in his arms. "My dad had found a little store that sold island trinkets, and he'd gone to check it out, telling my mom that after he came back, he'd take her down to the beach." Meli paused, felt Leo's hands squeeze hers, and took courage in that simple gesture. "But when he came back, Mom wasn't there. He went down to the beach to look for her, and saw a lot of people down by the water, gathered into a circle." She thought back to when her father had arrived home from that vacation, alone. She remembered the terror that had spread through her when he didn't answer her questions about her mom's whereabouts.

"It's okay," April said. Meli looked across the table and met her eyes. "You don't have to tell us," the redhead added, and the compassion in her voice almost brought Meli's tears rushing to the surface.

"I-I need to," she said, unable to explain it any other way. April nodded then, encouraging her to get it out. Donnie and Mikey sat on either side of her, and they, too, seemed to silently urge her on. Raph stood behind Mikey, and Splinter stood just off to Mikey's left. Meli wasn't able to look at the ninja master, afraid that if she did, all of the emotions roiling beneath her skin would burst forth. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop them.

"The people were gathered around my mom. She'd gone swimming by herself, and the current was too strong for her. A guy who'd been sitting on the beach heard her screams, and swam out to her, but it was too late by the time he got her to shore." Meli's heart beats were thundering in her ears, and she pulled her hands from Leo's and put her face in them, breathing deep to try and calm herself before her emotions got the best of her. Leo's arms wound around her, and she put her arms around his neck, pressing her face close to his chest. No one said anything. Meli managed to keep the tears at bay, and took slow breaths to stem the rush of panic the story always induced. She hadn't shared it with many people; sharing it now, with a group she hadn't known long, seemed right though. Everything about Leonardo and his family seemed right to her.

When she knew her emotions were again in-check, she sat back and Leo loosened his hold on her. "I just wonder, if the scroll is really trying to reach out to me, to hurt me, if it's using my greatest fear to do it," she whispered. She knew they all heard her - she'd already learned that ninjas had extremely fine-tuned hearing. Leo ran a hand over her hair, his eyes deep with concern and something else she didn't want to examine, something cold and unyielding.

"We're not gonna let it hurt you." Raph spoke with a quiet voice, but no one could miss the fierce undertone in it. His arms were crossed over his plastron, his emerald eyes hard with conviction.

"No way," Mikey echoed. Meli saw Raph's emotions reflected in his youngest brother's face, and realized, for the first time since meeting him, how ferocious Michelangelo could be when one of his family was threatened.

"Do you feel as though you could've woken yourself up from the nightmare?" Splinter asked, moving closer to the table. Meli met his gaze. It was full of compassion and empathy.

"I'm not really sure. It seemed so real - it _felt_ real," she told him. A momentary stab of panic hit her heart, and she reached unconsciously for Leo, who took hold of her hand and held it tight within both of his.

"It's okay," he murmured, and she took a breath, reminding herself that she was safe. There was no doubt in her mind that this was _the_ safest place she could be, surrounded by a group of highly-trained ninjas who cared about her.

"Does that matter, Sensei?" Donnie asked, looking at Splinter.

Splinter considered his answer for a few moments. "We are dealing with something unknown to us: a supernatural force. Since we do not know how it works, we must be very careful." He looked around at each of his sons, and then at April. "We need to assume that this force, that Meli felt in her dream, could cause harm to each one of us." He looked at Leo and Meli. "We also need to assume, for our protection, that this force could harm us in our sleep, as it attacked Meli during her dream."

"But it couldn't have really drowned her," Donnie countered, shaking his head. "That's impossible."

"What if she thought she couldn't breathe, though? And she _did_ quit breathing?" April asked, looking from Donnie to Splinter. "It would be causing her physical harm."

"But she was still breathing, though, even though she felt like she was drowning," Raph said. "She was gaspin' for air when we went into Leo's room."

"See? There's no way this, this _force_ could really physically harm her in her sleep," Donnie said. "Right, Sensei?"

_Drowning. Water filling my lungs. Can't break away..._Meli gasped suddenly and coughed. Leo instantly patted her on the back, his eyes wide with alarm. "I'm okay," she said a moment later, trying to shake the distinct feeling of water burning her lungs. _That's a physical impossibility, just like Donnie said. _Yet the feeling wasn't going away, and she was compelled to cough a couple more times, trying to dislodge imaginary water. Fear slithered through her. _How is this happening? _She wasn't sure she believed in a piece of paper causing her harm, but the fact that she still felt like she was choking on water was making it more plausible.

"Meli?" Leo was watching her with an intensity she could almost feel. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing," she said and tried to turn away, but he took hold of her chin, refusing to let her move. She cautiously met his eyes, and flinched. "I-I don't know how to describe it," she said, her voice soft. "I just felt like I was choking on water."

"But that's not-"

The ring of Meli's cell phone cut Donnie off, and she pulled it from her pocket, her eyes widening in fear. She held it out to Leo so he could see the ID. "Your uncle," he said. His voice was a growl.

"Do I answer it?" she asked, not really wanting to, but knowing they had to tell him they didn't have the scroll.

He held out his hand. "Let me." She hesitated a second; Leo reached and took it. "Hello." He kept his eyes on her. "No, you can't talk to her." His eyes tightened at the corners. "We don't have the scroll. It's gone." He glanced over at Raph, who was scowling. "Sorry. Can't tell you that. No." His expression grew darker, his eyes screwing down into slits of cobalt. "Go ahead and try that. You won't get far." He pressed the end call key and set the phone down on the table. Meli wanted badly to know what her uncle had said to make her boyfriend so upset, but decided it was best if he have a moment to cool down.

"So? What'd he say?" Raph asked, leaning down between April and Mikey.

Leo got up and walked away, his fists clenched. Meli bit her lip; she wished there was some way she could make all of this disappear. She kept telling herself it wasn't her fault, that she couldn't have known what the scroll was when she'd opened it, but that didn't help her now, when her boyfriend was obviously in distress from having to deal with her psycho uncle. "Leo? Maybe I should call him back, try to reason with him," she said.

He stopped, his body stiff with tension, and turned to face her. She sat back in her chair, unprepared for the savage look on his face. "No. You're going to stay as far away from him as I can get you," he said. He looked at his family. "That goes for all of you, too. No one is to go near him."

"What did he say?" April asked, her tone cautious.

Leo shook his head. "You don't want to know." He put his hands on the edge of the table near Meli. She could see the shake in his frame, the knots of tension in his shoulders. She got to her feet and touched his forearm, drawing his attention.

"Come on," she said, and held her hand out to him. Leo straightened and let her take his hand, and she led him out of the kitchen. She wanted to talk in private, and even knowing the others wouldn't eavesdrop, she preferred to be completely out of earshot. She took him over to the turnstiles and jumped over, waiting for him to do the same. He gave her a questioning look, but she didn't say anything, only took his hand again and led him down the tunnel aways before finally turning to face him. "So? I want to know what he said, and how we're going to deal with this now, since you won't let me talk to him."

Leo's features sharpened. "He threatened you, Meli. He threatened you, and my family. I'm sorry, but that doesn't exactly make me feel like I want any of you around him." His voice was cool, but she detected the hint of anger in it.

"But he's not a threat, not without the scroll. He doesn't have anything to wreck the world with now," she said. She tried to keep her anger in check, but it was getting harder to do so.

"If he got his hands on you, or on April or one of my brothers, he could force me to give him the scroll," Leo said. He moved closer to her. "I won't let that happen."

Instead of giving way to the anger that was building, Meli let it go. She softened her voice and put her hand on his arm. "I understand, really. But how long does this go on, Leo? Eventually, I have to go home. I can't stay here in hiding forever."

He took a deep breath, releasing it in a soft whoosh. "I know. And my answer is I don't know. But I'll figure it out." He put his hands on her shoulders. "You have to trust me."

"I do, more than anyone else I know." She was about to say more, but a sudden feeling of water rushing over her, streaming over her face, blindsided her, and she jerked away from him, coughing. She wiped at her face, trying to rid herself of the terrible sensation. She knew it wasn't real, knew there was no physical way for it to be real, but panic was welling within her.

"Meli. Meli, it's okay. I'm right here," Leo said. He caught both of her hands and held them with one of his, and touched her cheek with the other. "Shh, it's okay."

"I know," she said. She fought down the panic, and the intense feeling receded, leaving her breathless and tired. Leo reached around her, drawing her in tight to him, and she leaned hard on him, needing his strength.

"I need to stop this," he said, and she wasn't sure if he was talking to her, or voicing his thoughts outloud.

"But how? If the scroll is somehow doing this, how do we stop a supernatural force?" she asked.

He looked down at her. "_We_ don't. _I_ do." He hugged her close again. "I need to talk to Splinter and see if he has any ideas. Come on." He started to lead her back toward the lair, but she didn't move. He turned to her, a perturbed look on his face. "What is it?"

"Leo, I-"

"Meli!" Mikey came racing toward them, her cell phone clutched in his hand. "It's your dad!" He stopped just shy of her and thrust the phone toward her. His eyes shone with excitement. She reached for it, her heart hammering.

"Dad?"

"Sweetheart! I can't believe I got you. Are you okay? Please tell me you haven't lost that scroll I sent you, or talked to Rafe. And who was that young man who answered your phone? He was very enthusiastic," Alastair Tomkins said.

She couldn't believe she was actually talking to him, and the flood of emotions his voice brought was nearly overwhelming. "I'm okay. I did talk to Uncle Rafe, and he's after that scroll you sent me. It's a really old relic, Dad, and-"

"Don't give it to him." His voice changed, dropping in tone and heat. "You have to keep it safe, sweetheart. A very bad man wants it. Rafe is working for him." There was a burst of static, and she pulled the phone away from her ear for a second. "Don't let Rafe know you have it. And sweetheart, be careful. There's a powerful force surrounding that piece of paper, a supernatural force. It can hurt you. I have to go."

"Dad? Dad?" There was no answer. Meli slowly slid the phone into her pocket. The tears that had been boiling so close to the surface earlier now found a weak spot and leaked down her cheeks. Leo moved to her side and she heard him talking in a low tone to Mikey. Mikey nodded and headed back to the lair, and Leo turned her to face him. He took her face gently in his roughened hands.

"It's going to be okay, Meli. I know right now it doesn't seem like it, but it will be. I promise," he whispered. He kissed her forehead. "Come on, let's get back to the lair." This time, she let him lead her back toward the only place where she knew, without a doubt, that she was safe.

Everyone was waiting in the pit when they got back. Splinter nodded for them both to sit down, and gestured to Meli. "What did your father have to say?" he asked, his voice firm but gentle.

"He told me the scroll is wanted by a very bad man, and that Uncle Rafe is working for him. And he said its surrounded by a powerful supernatural force," she said. She stared at the floor. How could her father have gotten her mixed up in this? Why had he sent her the scroll in the first place? "I just, I don't understand why he sent it to me." She raised her eyes to sweep the others with a glance. "Why would he put me at risk like that?"

No one seemed to have a good answer for her. She wasn't really expecting one, anyway. Mikey leaned his head on her shoulder, and she tipped hers against his, finding comfort in his nearness. She looked at Leo, who sat on her other side. His jaw line was tense, and his hands were clenched together in his lap. "Leo, you said my uncle threatened all of us. But how would he know about April, or Splinter?" The men who worked for Rafe would've mentioned four giant talking turtles, no doubt.

"He's working with the Purple Dragons," he said. His voice was hard. "April's had plenty of run-ins with them over the years, and they know about our Sensei, too." He looked up at Splinter, who stood near the old recliner where Raph sat. "It's not safe for any of us to be topside by ourselves. If Rafe got his hands on one of us, he'd use that to his advantage."

April glanced at Donnie. "Well, I can't exactly stay here. I have to help Dad in his lab tomorrow."

"We'll walk you home once it gets dark," Donnie assured her. He was holding her hand, and rubbing her back gently with the other. "The Dragons would be stupid to take on the five of us together."

"No, not all five of us." Leo shook his head. He looked at April. "Donnie, Mikey, and I will walk you home. Raph can stay here with Meli and Splinter."

"Why me?" Raph asked, sitting forward in the chair. "I'm the toughest. If you guys are gonna get jumped by Dragons, I should be there. Besides, Meli and Splinter are safe here. No one knows where the lair is."

"That supernatural force is out there, though," Leo argued. "If it's going to keep attacking Meli, one of us has to be here to protect her." He reached out and took Meli's hand, squeezing it.

"Yeah, because Sensei isn't strong enough to protect her," Raph said, glaring at his older brother. "Give me a break!"

"Enough!" Splinter silenced the two with a short roar. "Leonardo is right. If this force continues to attack, we will need more than one of us here to watch over Meli." He turned his eyes to Leo. "And I suspect you want to spy on the Dragons." He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. The more we know our enemy, the better off we are," Leo said, nodding. "That puts us at an advantage over them."

Meli listened to them continue talking, but her mind was wandering. _Oh, Dad, how could you do this to me? If you hadn't sent me the scroll, Leo and I would be able to hang out like a normal couple, instead of him trying to decide how best to defend me and his family._ It was unfair. Her throat was dry, and she got up to go find something to drink. Leo let her go, casting a worried glance at her but not saying anything. Once in the kitchen, she pulled out a soda and sat at the table, taking a long swallow.

"Everything's going to be okay."

She turned her head and looked up at her boyfriend, unable to smile and say that he was right. It just wasn't in her to do that, not right then. Leo sat down across from her and reached to touch her hand. "How could he do this to me? To us?" she whispered. "Why? If he knew the scroll was so dangerous, why would he endanger me?"

"I don't know. I wish I did, but I don't." Leo shook his head. "But one thing I do know is this: no one is going to hurt you. Not your uncle, not the Dragons, and not this mystery guy who wants to destroy the world." His blue eyes were bright, back-lit by passion. "That's why I'm going out tonight with Donnie and Mikey. We'll see what else we can find out about your uncle's involvement with the Dragons, see if we can find someone who knows who he's working for."

"Will April be safe at home? Maybe she should stay here," Meli said. She hated the thought of her new surrogate sister in trouble.

"Donnie installed some heavy security measures in her home. I doubt anyone could break in, and she has her emergency button, too. Don't worry, if we thought she wouldn't be safe at home, she'd be staying right here tonight," Leo said. He took a breath, letting it out slowly. "You'll be safe here with Splinter and Raph."

_Will I? How can they defend against something they can't see, something that attacks me in my sleep? And what if it can manifest itself? Won't it be super powerful then, too?_ She wanted to trust in the brothers and their father, and she did. But she couldn't stop her thoughts, no more than she could forget about the terrible nightmare. _I wonder why the force dragged me into that pool. Was it trying to show me the underwater cave? But why? What connection would the scroll have to it? _Her eyes widened suddenly, and her heart started beating faster. "Did you and Raph put the scroll in a pool? In a cave?"

Leo sat back in his chair, his eyes narrowing. "I can't tell you. I don't want you to know where it is."

"You did, didn't you? And the scroll was showing me that in my nightmare," Meli said, her voice low. "If we went and got the scroll, maybe the force would-"

"No." Leo leaned across the table toward her. "It's best left right where we put it, Meli. Your uncle has no way of recovering it now, nor does anyone else. It's safe."

"But I'm not," she whispered. She looked down, unable to meet his suddenly hot gaze. "What if the force can become tangible? What if it tries to take me to the pool?" She shuddered. She understood Leo's reasoning for leaving the scroll buried. But she'd felt how strong the force was in her nightmare. If it were possible for it to reach her while she was awake, how could she fight it off? Would Raph, undoubtedly the strongest of the four brothers, be able to fend it off? She heard the scrape of a chair against the floor, and looked up as her boyfriend came around the table, determination glittering in his eyes.

Leo's arms came around her and held her tight. "You know I won't let that happen. Even if the force was able to do something like that, Raph and Splinter will be right here." He was kneeling next to her, and reached to tip her face toward him. "They won't let anything hurt you." When she didn't say anything, he gently pulled her head down to him and captured her lips in a soft kiss. Meli put her arms around his neck and slid off the chair and into his lap, needing to be as close to him as she could be. When he eased his mouth away after a few more moments, he whispered in her ear, "You're the most important person in my life. We'll get through this, I promise." He nuzzled her neck for a moment, driving hot spikes of liquid heat through her. She wanted nothing more than to stay right here, in his arms, where she knew she was safe, but someone gently cleared their throat behind them, and Leo pulled back, looking over his shoulder.

"Leo, Dr. O'Neil just called. He wants April home soon." Donnie's voice was quiet, careful. "Maybe we should leave Mikey here, take Raph with us." His tone suggested that his suggestion wasn't really that at all.

Leo got to his feet and helped Meli to hers, keeping one arm around her waist. "No. Mikey knows how important this all is. He'll be okay with us. I want Raphael here."

Donnie's eyes iced down, but he didn't argue. He simply turned away and walked out. Meli nudged Leo in the side. "He's worried about April. I'm sure Mikey would be okay here." And she trusted the youngest turtle as much as she trusted Raph. "Mikey wouldn't let anything happen."

"Exactly, which is why he's going with us. He and April are really close, and I know he'll stay glued to her side." Leo turned her to face him. "Donnie will get over it. And April is ninja, too. She's a lot harder to take down than most attackers think. It will be okay."

Meli could see there was no swaying his decision, and simply hugged him, wishing with all her might that he didn't have to leave. She knew why he was, instead of just sending his brothers with April: he was the leader. And leaders didn't stay behind to let others fight their battles for them, or to spy for them. She liked that about him, his willingness to stand in front of his family, even when it put him in danger. "Be careful, okay? Don't take any unnecessary risks."

He nodded. "We won't. We'll be back as soon as we can." He took her hand and led her back to the pit, where the others were still gathered, waiting for them. "Donnie, Mikey, you ready?" Both brothers nodded, and Meli noted Mikey's seriousness, and the way he stood close to April, one hand on her arm. Donnie flanked her on the other side, one hand resting gently on the small of her back. Leo looked at Raph. "Meli's on _your_ watch, Raphael. Take care of her."

Raph responded by walking over to them and pulling Meli to his side, resting one hand on her right shoulder. "No problem, Captain." He squeezed her shoulder, and she knew he also took his job seriously. Someone, or some_thing, _would have to be insane to try and harm her with him at her side.

"Good. Let's get going." Leo bowed in Splinter's direction; the big rat inclined his head for a moment.

"Be careful, all of you," he said. Meli knew it must've been hard for him, watching as three of his sons and one of his daughters left the lair, and not knowing exactly what they would be facing. It was hard for her, too. What if they ran into a lot of trouble? What if there were more bad guys than they could handle?

"Hey, don't worry about 'em," Raph said quietly. "They're ninjas."

His quiet voice, and the way he could simply state that fact and believe, without any doubt, that they _would_ be all right, soothed her nerves. "You're right," she said, nodding. "They'll be fine."

Raph grinned and held out his hand. "Come on, I heard your stomach growlin' earlier. I'll find something for us to eat, and we can watch a scary movie. Take your mind offa things."

"Um, okay," she said, a soft chuckle escaping her mouth. She saw Splinter disappear into his room, and knew he would be meditating and praying for the safety of the family members who had just left. _Oh, Leo, please be careful. _

"Hey." She looked up and met Raph's eyes, startled by the gentleness in them. "Leo'll be fine. So will the others. We take care of each other," he assured her. "And I'm gonna take care of you." He tugged her toward the kitchen, and she let him guide her, deciding that Raph was right.

Ninjas took care of their own. And because of that, they were all going to be safe and sound.


	12. Captured

I so don't own the Turtles. I do own some pretty sweet Eastman comics (the new run). Don't sue me for them, though - go get 'em off Ebay, like my hubby did (for one of my Christmas presents).

Thank you to everyone who takes time out of their hectic schedules to sit and read this story, and this new chapter. Hope you're still enjoying it.

STRONGER

CHAPTER TWELVE: CAPTURED

The New York streets were pretty deserted, but Leo never would've taken a chance on them. They were far safer high above the ground, racing across the tops of the old buildings that populated the area around April's home. He was out front, eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary, anything that might tip him off to an enemy. Behind him were April and Donnie, with Mikey bringing up the rear of their little company. They stayed tight to each other, their steps in-sync with one another's. It was the way Leo liked it.

April had begged to come with them to the Dragons territory, but Donnie had vehemently vetoed that before Leo could say no. For all of her skill, she was still relatively new to the world of ninjutsu, and if they found themselves in a fight tonight, he didn't want to have to worry about her. He knew Donnie and Mikey felt the same way. Any other night, when Meli's crazy uncle wasn't gunning for them, April was welcome to run with them.

He came to a stop on the very edge of the building they were racing across. April's house was just across the street; there were lights on in the living room, and her father's study was lit up, too. Leo watched for a second, and saw Dr. O'Neil walk by the front window, a book held in his hands. _Good. He's home._ If he hadn't been, they wouldn't have left her here. None of them were going to be alone until Rafe Moreau and the man he was working for were taken care of. He held his left hand up and waved it forward. Donnie knelt on the edge next to him, studying the house.

"He's home," Leo assured him. April crouched behind Donnie, her hands resting lightly on his shoulders. Mikey knelt next to Leo. A strong breeze whipped April's hair, and she shoved it back behind her ears.

"You sure I can't come with you tonight?" she asked, and Leo detected a slight tremor in her voice. He glanced at her, noting the paleness of her freckled face.

"Yes." Donnie reached a hand up to pat hers. "You'll be safer at home."

"It's not like I haven't been training for seven years," April muttered and rose to her feet. "So I guess I'll catch you guys tomorrow, then." Donnie nodded and got to his feet as well, turning to face her. Leo and Mikey kept their eyes on the house, giving the couple a small private moment. Leo appreciated that Mikey didn't make obscene noises during times like this. It was enough that Raph did.

_I suppose Mikey has always been more a romantic than the rest of us,_ Leo mused. April jumped down to the fire escape below, hit the ground on her feet, and walked casually across the street. The three ninjas kept their eyes on her until she was safely inside her house. Donnie huffed out a deep breath.

"I swear, if she shows up tonight..." He let the sentence trail off, but Leo knew what he meant. April wasn't good at taking orders from anyone other than herself; it wouldn't be surprising at all if she did show up in Dragons territory later on.

"Well, if she does, she'll have us for back-up," Leo consoled him. "Come on. We're wasting time now." He got to his feet and ran across to the opposite side of the building. Donnie and Mikey flanked him. Leo checked the surrounding area; seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he took a few steps back and ran forward, flinging himself off the edge of the building and landing safely on the next rooftop. The three brothers moved as one flowing shadow from building to building, until they were within the heart of the Purple Dragons' stomping grounds. They crouched on the edge of a dilapidated old store and peered down into the street.

Three of the gang members were hanging out by a dark blue sedan, and Leo's heart quickened. _Rafe's car. Maybe we'll get lucky._ He nudged Donnie, who quickly nodded. Mikey was staring intently down at the three men; Leo was impressed with his youngest brother's concentration. He supposed it shouldn't have been surprising - Mikey didn't take well to people threatening those he cared about. Donnie dug around in his bag he always carried and passed out the specialized headphones. They put them on, and Leo leaned forward just a little. He didn't want to miss anything that was said.

"So what's the Wolf's plan now? He just gonna wait and see if his niece shows up or what?" the shortest gang member said. He was leaning against the hood of the car, the glowing tip of a cigarette lighting his thin face.

"Naw, didn't you hear him? He said he has a way to get her to come out of hiding," the man wearing a knit stocking cap said.

"Oh yeah? Like what? She's hangin' with those stupid turtles now." The third member, a man dressed in baggy jeans and a white sweatshirt, was playing with a switchblade. The metal of the knife glinted in the dirty light cast by the streetlamp.

Leo's eyes narrowed. _So Rafe is the Wolf. Maybe we should've guessed that. Well, he's not getting his hands on Meli. _No one would be harming her, no matter what he had to do to protect her.

"I don't know what the plan is, but he said its good," Stocking Cap said.

"Yeah, well, he better hurry it up, 'cause the boss ain't happy with him," the smoker said, shaking his head. "Ain't happy at all."

Switchblade started to say something, but the brothers' concentration was cut off when the panic alert on their t-phones went off. Donnie reacted the fastest, swinging around and sprinting off back the way they'd come. Leo and Mikey were quickly behind him, Mikey's teeth bared in a grimace. The youngest turtle soon overshot his two older brothers, and Donnie and Leo followed him at their fastest, letting nothing slow them down. A cold wind was howling over the rooftops now; Leo feared it was bringing with it a storm front. When a few drops of stinging cold rain smacked his face, he inwardly groaned but pushed on.

They were at April's house in five flat. It was probably a new record, but none of them were thinking about that. Leo managed to snag Donnie's arm before he jumped down to the fire escape. "Wait. We need to scout first," he said. When Donnie jerked his arm away and glared at him, Leo ignored him. He watched the house across the street, waiting for any unusual activity. The lights were all still on, but he saw no one. He nodded, and Donnie and Mikey disappeared over the edge of the building. Leo followed a split second later. They moved gracefully across the street, here one second and gone the next, until they were beside the house. Leo took the lead. He knew, from his own experience now, that Donnie wasn't quite thinking ninja. He was thinking that his girlfriend was in danger, and he needed to rescue her.

They all knew the lay-out of the O'Neil home like they knew the tunnels surrounding the lair. Leo kept them together though - he wasn't taking chances of getting split from his brothers. Silently they moved through the house, finding nothing. No one. Nothing was even disturbed, out of place. A chill swept through Leo's body, and he shivered. _This isn't right. Where are they? What happened to them?_ Donnie's fear and anger were ramping up, almost arcing off him, and Leo knew it was time to regroup, to get to high ground and safety. He turned for the back door. When he reached it and heard nothing behind him, he glanced back and saw his brothers standing in the hall, dark expressions coloring their faces. He waved them forward. They didn't have time for this.

But Donnie shook his head and took a step back, and Mikey never hesitated before doing the same. Leo paused, listening. They'd heard something he hadn't. He went back to them, and stopped cold. A soft rustling, just a mere gleam of sound. Donnie moved toward the small walk-in closet and swung the door open, his bo staff at the ready. "Dr. O'Neil!" he said, and sheathed the staff before reaching in and hauling Kirby out by his shoulders. The doctor was trussed up tight, a gag cutting cruelly across his mouth. He was sporting several darkening bruises. Mikey used the kusarigama blade on his nunchuks to cut him free of his bonds and gag.

"Boys!" Kirby coughed a couple of times. His eyes were wide, rimmed with fear. "They took April. There were five of them. I-I tried to fight, but-"

"What did they look like? Did they say anything?" Leo asked, cutting him off. He had a very bad feeling about all of this, and knew from a glance at his brothers that they did, too.

Kirby coughed again, and shook his head. "They didn't say anything. They were carrying assault rifles. I don't even know how they got in." He reached into his lab coat pocket, and handed Donnie a small pile of bright red plastic. Donnie blanched.

"April's emergency button," he breathed.

_Great. No way to track her now. And they were carrying guns. That's always a bad sign. And April would've feared for her dad's life, so she probably didn't try and fight hard._ Leo's temper surged, but he fought it off. It had no place here - they needed to stay calm to find April.

"Don't worry, Dr. O'Neil. We'll save her," Donnie said. His voice rang with hard conviction, and Leo saw the flash of obstinate fire in his eyes. His brother wouldn't return to the lair until they'd found and rescued April. The problem was, where did they look first?

_Wait. The Wolf's plan...Rafe's going to use April to force me into giving him the scroll and Meli. _"I know where to go. Come on," Leo said and got to his feet. He stared at Kirby. "Stay here. Lock all the doors. We'll get April back." He ran for the back door, not pausing this time to see if his brothers were with him. He knew they were.

They made it back to Dragon territory in record time, none of them thinking about anything other than getting April back. Leo was betting that even Mikey wasn't able to think of anything else. The blue sedan was gone, though, and Leo had the sinking feeling that gone with it were Rafe and April. There was no other activity in the area, either. It was if all the gang members had disappeared. Leo sat back on his heels, thinking. Where would Rafe have taken her? He probably had somewhere to stay, but where? A hotel? An apartment? _He wouldn't be brave enough to go to the Trove, would he? Maybe he thinks we'll be stupid enough to let Meli go home by herself, and he can snag her then._ Leo snorted. Yeah, like that was going to happen.

"What's so funny?" Donnie's ice-cold voice snapped against Leo's train of thought, and he looked up at his brother. "Please tell me you're not laughing about this, because I'm about ready to wipe this roof with your face!"

"What? No, I'm not laughing. I'm trying to figure out where Rafe would've taken April," Leo said, offended that Donnie would think such a thing. "I'm upset that she got kidnapped, Don!"

"So why aren't we doing anything about it, then? Why are we still standing around when there's obviously nothing here?" Donnie's voice was rising, the heat intensifying. Mikey was watching both of them with deep concern in his light blue eyes.

Leo got to his feet and stared up at his younger brother. It irked him on occasion that Donnie was taller - this was one of those times. "Do _you_ know where he might've taken her? Because if you do, please share. I'm just dying to know!" Leo felt his own temper rushing around inside him, welling up, waiting to fully explode. _Stop. I have to be calm. I know he's worried and mad, just like I would be. I _am_ worried and angry, anyway. April's one of us. We have to find her. _He didn't want to think about what Rafe would do to her. Donnie didn't say anything; instead, he threw a fast punch that caught Leo off-guard and knocked him flat on his back. Mikey immediately jumped in front of Donnie and put both hands on his plastron.

"Don't, bro," he warned, his voice low and hard.

"Get out of my way, Mike," Donnie said, pushing at him. "I mean it!"

"Shut up!" The words were a virtual roar, stifling anything Donnie was about to say or do. He simply stared in amazement at his younger brother. Mikey reached back and grabbed Leo's hand, hauling him to his feet. He pointed at both of them. "You both need to shut up and _think_, okay? April's in danger, and Rafe is gonna use her to try and get Meli and the scroll. So stop fighting and start using your brains!" Mikey's voice was shaking, and there was very real fear shining in his eyes. Donnie and Leo looked at each other, and Leo reached out to put his hand on Mikey's shoulder.

"We'll find her, Mikey. You know we will. And we're not handing Meli and the scroll over to him, no matter what he does." Leo spoke softly, and glanced at Donnie as he did. He knew Donnie wouldn't like that last part, but it was the way it had to be. If Meli had been taken, and a crazy man wanted to exchange her for April and a piece of paper with the power to destroy the world, he wouldn't do it. They couldn't give in to terrorists like Rafe, and that's most certainly was the man was.

"Leo's right. And April's tough. I'm sure she'll be okay until we find her," Donnie added. Leo wasn't sure who he was really trying to reassure: Mikey, or himself. Either way, it didn't matter. As he was about to say something, his T-phone rang, and he pulled it off his belt and stared at it for a second before answering.

"This is Leonardo."

"I know who it is, you stupid turtle." Rafe's voice was cool, slippery. "I have someone you'd like to get back. She's really a very pretty thing, and I'm sure you don't want _any_ harm to come her way." Rafe seemed to be talking to someone in the background, and then Leo heard April scream.

"Stop it!" Leo's breathing began to roughen, and he took a deep breath to even it out. Donnie and Mikey were staring at him, and he sensed their fear. "You'll pay for everything you do to her, Rafe. _Every single thing._"

"I'll look forward to that. Now, why don't we discuss the real reason for my call. I want my niece and that scroll. You either hand them both over tonight, or your pretty little ninja friend is going to spend the night on her back, _working_. I know you get get my drift, Leonardo. Bring me Meli and the scroll at midnight, or April will suffer."

Horrible images drifted through Leo's mind, and he had to shove them away. Anger buzzed throughout his body. "Where?" he asked.

"I knew you'd agree. Besides, Meli isn't really your type, anyway. She's meant for the world-domination type of man." Rafe paused to let that sink in. "Call me when you have them."

The phone call ended, and Leo slowly slid his phone back into his belt. He closed his eyes. _What do I do? I can't give Rafe what he wants, but I won't let him hurt April. _He felt a hand on his arm, and opened his eyes to see Donnie standing close to him.

"We'll figure this out, Leo, together," he said quietly. "Mikey's right. We have to think."

"I know." Leo sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm sorry, Donnie. We should've brought April with us, and this wouldn't have happened."

Donnie shook his head. "No, Leo. We did the right thing. If we'd gotten into a fight with the Dragons, she might've gotten kidnapped then, too. Besides, that security system I put in their house is nearly infallible. I don't know how anyone could've breached it, but that's not our fault, either. We just have to figure out a plan."

"Um, guys?" Mikey tapped their shoulders and pointed. "We got a problem."

Leo and Donnie turned, and Leo's eyes widened. _The Foot. No way._ They hadn't seen any Foot ninja in three years or so. Leo pulled his katana; his brothers pulled their own weapons. The black-clad ninjas held their position on the other side of the roof, tense and wary. Leo was loathe to start the fight first. _We don't have time for this. _But he knew the enemy ninjas would follow them, and they couldn't have that. He'd rather the Foot get anxious and rush into battle. But a minute later, with no one making a move, Leo knew he and his brothers didn't have any more time to lose. "Go!" he ordered, and the three turtles rushed across the roof.

It became very clear, very fast, that these Foot were much better fighters than the last ones they'd encountered years ago. Leo took a hard whack across his shell that sent him reeling forward, his momentum knocking him to the roof. He rolled and was back on his feet in time to see Donnie get ambushed by three Foot, and Mikey wasn't fairing any better. Another group of Foot climbed onto the roof, and Leo knew it was useless to keep fighting. They were badly outnumbered now. He caught Donnie's eye and gave him the retreat signal. Donnie nodded, backed away from the three Foot who were attacking him, and ran for the other side of the roof.

Leo tried to get Mikey's attention, but the youngest turtle was in the middle of a group of Foot, and he wasn't gaining any ground. Leo rushed in to help him, and found Donnie beside him. _All for one, _Leo thought as he and Donnie broke into the ring of ninjas. Mikey was down, trying desperately to get back to his feet, but a blow to his head rendered him unconscious. Leo knew it the second his brother's head hit the pavement of the roof. His vision blurred, and he let out a vicious yell while going after the ninja who had hit Mikey.

"Leo! We've gotta go!" Donnie yelled. Leo saw that Don was cornered, with no way out except to jump from the roof.

"Donnie!" Leo watched as his brother in purple had his long legs swept from beneath him. Donnie scrambled to get up, but it was no good. Three Foot pounced on him. Something inside Leo snapped, and he screamed in fury and bolted toward Donnie, who was now being trussed up. Leo went to work with his katana, not caring who he wounded. He saw nothing, felt nothing. But it was not enough. There were simply far too many of the enemy for him to match, and he found himself on the ground, staring up at several Foot, all carrying weapons. One of them put a blade to his throat, pushing the tip into his skin. Leo stilled, knowing to try and fight now was pointless. He wasn't so sure these Foot wouldn't kill him, and he couldn't let that happen. Three other ninjas rolled him over and tied him up.

"Leo?" Donnie was staring at him. He was bruised, with a nasty cut across his leftg cheek. "Is Mikey okay?"

Leo sighed. "I'm pretty sure they knocked him out." Donnie swore beneath his breath. "Yeah. I know," Leo said. Not only had April been taken, but now the three of them had been captured, as well. This wasn't their night. He thought about Meli, and hoped that she was safe. _I know Raph and Splinter will protect her, but what happens now? How do I get Rafe's message to them? And who are the Foot working for? Who's leading them now?_ He was jerked roughly to his feet and slung over one of the Foot's shoulders, as were Donnie and Mikey. _Raph won't even know what's going on. Damn it._ And there was no way to communicate with him now, either.

They were carried down the fire escape to the street, where a black SUV was waiting. The Foot threw them into the back of it and slammed the doors. "Mikey?" Donnie said softly. There was no response, and fear washed through Leo. The hit to his youngest brother's head must've been worse than he'd thought.

"We're okay, Donnie," he said, trying to reassure him.

"No, Leo, we're not. We were supposed to rescue April. Now look at us," Donnie said. His anger was cut with the same fear Leo was feeling, and Leo couldn't blame him. They were in a rough spot, rougher than they'd seen in a while.

"Just stay calm. We'll figure this out." But Leo himself wasn't feeling calm. He wanted to break his bonds and bust out of the SUV, but that wasn't happening. No, the man who'd tied him had tied him well. Too well. The SUV was rolling now, taking turns too fast and throwing them around. Leo and Donnie collided twice. They rode for what seemed like forever but was probably only ten minutes, and then the vehicle slammed to a stop. The back doors were thrown open, and the three brothers were blindfolded and gagged.

Leo knew he was being carried down a steep ladder; a moment later, he was falling. He hit the ground with a solid thump and shook his head. Two more thumps indicated his brothers, and he wished he could see where they were. Someone grabbed one of his feet and started dragging him. _This sucks. Some leader I've been tonight. First we lose April, and now three of us are being dragged off to who knows what kind of torture. _When he was finally let go of, someone jerked his blindfold off and ripped the gag from his mouth. He blinked his eyes hard to adjust to the low light, and stared up into the face of Rafe Moreau.

"What is this? Why did you bring me all _three_ of the turtles?" Rafe asked, turning to glare at one of the Foot. "Now we have no one to deliver our message!"

"Relax." Another man stepped out of the shadows. He was distinctly Japanese, and Leo's stomach contracted. He knew this man. He was someone from Splinter's past, someone from _their _past, someone to be feared. The man knelt beside Leo and smiled. "Turtles. How very nice of you to join us here in our compound." His voice was soft, slick and oily. Leo mentally recoiled, recalling the man's name.

_Saito Haruki. We thought he'd fled, gone back to Japan after the beating we gave him years ago. He must've taken over the Foot. _"Why are we here?" Leo asked. He kept his voice low, devoid of emotion. He remembered that Saito disliked emotion very much.

"So you haven't figured it out, have you, Leonardo? The end of the world? The scroll? The Wolf's niece?" Saito smiled. "Part of my plan. You see, once the world is destroyed, it will need to be rebuilt. It will need someone with great power to restore it."

"And that's going to be you?" Leo bit back a scoff. "The scroll is supposed to destroy all mankind. How do you plan to escape _that_?"

"By becoming something stronger. Something that will be able to withstand the destruction." Saito reached out and touched Leo's shoulder. "A mutant, in other words."

Leo jerked away from his touch. His eyes tamped down into slits. "Really? That's your master plan? I say it sucks."

Saito's mouth twitched in annoyance. "You should be happy. You will survive, if you give me what I desire." He leaned closer to Leo, staring into his eyes. "Your girlfriend, Leonardo. And the scroll. I must have them."

"No." Leo turned his head away so he wouldn't have to look at him. Saito slapped him hard.

"You will give them up, because if you don't, I will dispose of April O'Neil and your two brothers we captured with you," Saito said. He turned toward Rafe. "Bring me the girl." Leo took a deep breath as Rafe snapped his fingers at two men in dark jeans and sports coats. They moved away into the dark, and returned moments later with April. She was gagged but not blindfolded, and Leo saw the bruise across her right cheek. She met his gaze and he saw not only fear, but fury. "I know she means a great deal to you and your family, Leonardo," Saito said. "You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her, especially with you so close and not able to do anything about it." He nodded once at Rafe, and Rafe backhanded April across the face.

"Stop! Leave her alone!" Leo snarled. He tried to wrestle himself into a sitting position, but one of the Foot put a blade to his throat again. Saito smiled down at him.

"Now, you're going to call your other brother, the hothead, and tell him to bring me Meli and the scroll at midnight. If he chooses not to, then your brothers will die, and your lovely little ninja friend will be sold as a slave." Saito smiled again; it was sadistic and cruel. He reached down between his legs. "If you catch my meaning," he added.

"You're sick, Saito." Leo wished he could say more, do more, but he couldn't risk getting April hurt more than she was. He glanced around and saw Donnie and Mikey in a heap at the edge of the shadows; the Foot had knocked Donnie out, too. It was just as well - Donnie didn't need to hear Saito's threat to April, or witness Rafe's cruelty to her. Leo closed his eyes for a second. He was all but beaten now, defeated.

"Now, Leonardo. Make the call." Saito had jerked Leo's T-phone from his belt. "It's the only way to save your family." He nodded, and someone cut Leo's bonds. He sat up and rubbed his wrists. Saito thrust the phone at him, and Leo took it grudgingly. He looked up and met April's eyes again. She shook her head sharply, her blue eyes narrowed. He turned away from her, unable to watch her while he called Raph.

He let the phone ring for a good two minutes; Raph never picked up. Leo's heart thudded harder as he called Meli next. When she didn't answer either, he knew something had to have happened, and a chill drove deep down into his body. He shook his head at Saito. "Have to try later," he said. Saito glared at him and knocked the phone from his hand. It clattered to the concrete.

"Take them away," he ordered and got to his feet. Leo was hauled up and his wrists tied again behind his back. Donnie and Mikey were picked up and carried off into the dark. Leo and April were pushed along behind them. As the dark enveloped them, April took a moment to lean hard against him, and Leo pressed a quick kiss to her hair, hoping to reassure her. At least they were together now, and if he could get loose, they had a chance at getting out of here. A door was opened, and both of them were shoved inside. Leo manuevered so that he hit the floor just before April. She'd already been subjected to enough pain; the last thing she needed was to fall down on the cement. Donnie and Mikey had been tossed inside as well. The door was slammed shut.

Leo leaned against April and put his mouth close to hers. "I'm going to try and get that gag off," he whispered. She nodded and held still. He set to work with his sharp teeth, glad that the gags were thin cloth, and not rope or something heavier. In a minute or so he had chewed through it and April spit it out. She took several deep breaths, coughing a little. "It's okay," he said. "We're going to be okay."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She put her head on his shoulder. "Rafe's men, they broke through Donnie's security somehow. They were armed. They said if I didn't go with them, they'd kill Dad." Her voice broke, and Leo felt her tears running down his arm. "Donnie's okay, isn't he? And Mikey?"

"Hey, don't cry," he said. He laid his head on top of hers, attempting to give her as much reassurance as he could. "They're okay, just knocked out. This isn't your fault. The only ones at fault are Saito and Rafe. We'll think of something, okay? Really. We're going to be all right." He glanced to the heap where his brothers lay, and hoped they would wake up soon. He needed them.

"You can't give Meli and the scroll up," April said. She was sniffling, trying to rein in her emotions. "Saito's crazy. He really will end this world if he gets the chance."

"Yeah, I know. I was hoping we'd seen the last of him." _How did he find out about the scroll? And how did Rafe get mixed up with him? _Saito Haruki had been close friends with the Shredder, back in the day, and had had several run-ins with the turtles and April. But he'd disappeared four years before, and they hadn't seen him since. _He should've stayed missing. _"Don't worry. I'm not about to give him what he wants."

"So what do we do, then?" April asked. Her voice was soft, punctuated with a sniffle here and there. "Are Donnie and Mikey really okay? They'd better be." She looked over at them.

"They're fine." _I hope. Mikey's been out a long time. _Leo's temper was nearing a boiling point. If the Foot had somehow seriously injured his baby brother, he was going to break all of their heads before this was over. "Raph won't turn Meli over, or the scroll. I know he won't. We need to get Donnie and Mikey awake, and get loose. Once that happens, we can get out of here and get back to the lair," he said. He spoke with as much confidence as he could muster. Not having been able to reach either his brother or girlfriend on their phones was worrying him, though. _What if Meli was right, and the force could somehow physically manifest itself? If it's strong, will Raph and Sensei be able to keep it at bay? _Meli's story about her mother ran through his head. _Meli's greatest fear is drowning. What if the force tries to do that? _The very thought was enough to drive fury shaking throughout his body, and Leo had to fight to control it.

"Leo?" April's voice was quiet. "Raph won't let anything happen to her. Neither will Splinter. You have to trust in that."

"I know. I am," he said. But the fury wasn't going away, and he knew he had to direct it into something or it would drive him mad. He moved around until he was back-to-back with April. "Come on. Let's see if we can loosen each other's bonds." His wrists were sore, but he had a small amount of leeway, and he intended to use it, even if his hands started to fall asleep on him. At least he was doing _something_ to get out of this predicament.

As he and April worked to free each other, he kept his thoughts buried deep. If he let them loose, dwelled on them too long, he knew the terror that was hovering at the edge of his consciousness would eat away at the fury driving his actions, and he would be rendered useless. _And I _will _not let that happen._


	13. Flood

I don't own any Turtles, April, or Splinter. I only own the OCs.

Thank you for your continued support. It really does mean a lot to me. If you could take time to leave a review, that would be fantastic.

This one is quite a bit longer; it kinda got away from me. I wanted to do some Meli/Raph sister/brother bonding. And to those who are Star Wars fans (is there anyone who's _NOT?),_ see if you catch the reference.

STRONGER

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: FLOOD

Meli set her bowl of chips down on the floor, keeping her eyes glued to the TV screen, where a young woman was being stalked by a predatory ghost. Raph sat next to her, within arm's reach; she'd already reached out to touch his right arm twice, just to reassure herself that she wasn't alone. They'd turned most of the lights off, as Raph said the dark made horror movies much more scarier. Splinter had come out once to see what they were watching; after rolling his eyes, he retreated to the dojo.

The ghost suddenly materialized in front of the girl, and she screamed. Meli jerked backward, one hand flying up to cover her eyes. "Hey, don't do that! This is one of the best parts," Raph said as he tried to pry her hand away from her face. Meli finally dropped her hand in time to see the ghost dragging the girl down the hall of the old house. The girl was clawing at the fraying carpet, crying and screaming.

"Um, Raph..." Meli wasn't sure she wanted to find out what was going to happen to the girl. The ghost had already made very short work of all the other teenagers foolish enough to enter the scary old mansion.

"Shh. This is the best part," Raph commanded. He leaned forward, nearly on the edge of the couch. Meli brought her hand back up to hover just below her eyes. Her body was completely tense, and she wasn't sure she could watch anymore of the movie without her heart exploding. Horror movies were too much for her.

"Hey! Let go of her!" A boy suddenly stepped out from a doorway into the hall, holding a shotgun. "I'll use it!" When the ghost snarled at him, the boy took aim and fired. The ghost shrieked and dropped the girl's arm, disappearing into the wall. "Well, get up. Let's go!" the boy said and turned to go. The girl got to her feet and ran after him.

Raph sank back against the couch. "Love that part," he said, satisfied. He looked at Meli. "Oh come on, didn't you watch it?"

"No, I did." She nodded. "He could've been a _little_ nicer to the girl, though."

Raph's eyes widened. "Hey, he just saved her life. How nice does he have to be? Plus, he's right. They gotta keep movin' if they want to stay alive." He leaned toward her, lowering his voice. "It's gonna get a lot worse after this," he warned.

Meli rolled her eyes and smacked his forearm. "I'm not sure I can survive it," she said. "I told you I don't do horror movies."

"Why? They're really fun. Well, most of 'em." Raph grabbed her bowl of chips off the floor. "So? What's with the no horror movie rule?"

Meli twisted her hands together in her lap, and kept her eyes on the floor. "Well, I guess it's mostly because I have a super-active imagination. If I watch something scary, it's all I think about. And since I live by myself..." She glanced at him, and he gave a thoughtful nod.

"Okay, I buy that. Any other reason?"

She didn't answer for a few moments, and when she finally did, she couldn't look at him. "When my mom died, I had a lot of bad dreams. I'd never really been fond of the water, but after that happened, well, it was the scariest thing I thought about. And I can't handle seeing it happen in movies or TV shows," she said. Her voice was low, soft, but she knew he had no trouble hearing her.

Raph was silent for a minute or so. He had paused the movie, and the lair around them was quiet. "So that stupid reality show Mikey had on yesterday wasn't fun for you to watch," he finally said. He looked at her, and reached out to take her left hand, giving it a squeeze. "You should've told him. He would've turned it off in a heart beat."

"I know. But it doesn't bother other people like it does me, and it's not about me, anyway," she said.

"It is some of the time," Raph told her. His gaze was direct, but filled with kindness, and she smiled a little.

"Thank you," she said, meaning it. He nodded and gestured at the TV.

"I can guarantee no one dies from water in this one," he said. "Plenty of other stuff goin' on, but no drowning." He glanced at her. "You okay with this?"

"Sure." She really didn't think she'd be able to sleep later on, but knew watching it made Raph happy. She could suffer a little for that. In fact, she'd suffer a lot for any of the boys. They'd made her more happy than she'd been in years, and if one of them wanted to watch scary movies with her, she was going to be okay with that. Raph resumed the movie, and Meli tried to get lost in the story. It kept her from thinking about what could be happening above, where her boyfriend and surrogate brothers were attempting to find information on her shady uncle.

An hour later, the ghost had been defeated, and the girl was the only one left alive. Raph got up and turned toward the kitchen. "Want anything else?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks, though." She started flipping through channels on the TV, trying to find something else that Raph would like. There were two other horror movies just starting, and she decided to wait and see what one he was interested in. She settled back on the couch and closed her eyes. _I wonder how Leo is. Has he found anything? He'd better be staying out of trouble._ The thought of him or his brothers getting hurt was enough to turn her stomach. Her skin suddenly prickled, and she opened her eyes, instantly feeling alert. She looked toward the turnstiles, and felt a cold rush of air slide over her. _What is going on?_ A low moaning sound filled the lair, and the fine hairs on the back of her neck rose.

"Raph?" Meli called, and the lights flashed once before going out, leaving her in complete darkness. "Raph!" Panic exploded within her, and she got up, turning toward the kitchen.

"Meli, stay there. I'm coming," he said. His voice was full of tension.

A door opened and closed. "A power failure, perhaps?" Splinter asked, and Meli could tell he was also approaching her. The moaning sound intensified, and she stared into the space around her. The air was chilling down quickly; she shuddered, and wished she had her sweatshirt on.

"This crap always happens when Donnie's not here," Raph groused. He vaulted the couch and landed next to her. He reached out, touching her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yes," she said. She shivered. "Don't you hear that sound?" she asked, leaning into him.

"What sound?" Splinter asked, coming to stand next to her on her other side. Standing between the two, she felt relatively safe. "I hear nothing."

"Yeah, me either." Raph put his hand on her shoulder. "It's just a power outage or something. Donnie can fix it when he gets back."

The moans became a growl, and Meli pushed into Raph's side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Really? You two don't hear that growling sound?" she asked. Her voice was high, carrying the weight of her fright. Raph's arm automatically tightened around her.

"Something bad is coming," Splinter said. His voice was firm, matter-of-fact. He held his staff in front of him like a weapon. Meli felt Raph pull his left sai. The growls grew louder, until they filled the air. Meli gasped and buried her face into Raph's side. She was shaking.

"Hey, it's all right. You're okay," Raph said. "We're right here."

"You still don't _hear_ that?" Meli asked. The air was shrieking around them now, the noise nearly deafening. Then, it was gone. Silence filled the room. She lifted her head, glancing around. The power was still out, but it was quiet now. "It stopped," she whispered.

"Stay vigilant," Splinter warned. His voice was cold, hard. "I fear we are in great danger."

"Danger? Sensei, there's nothin'-" Raph broke off as something violent shoved him from behind, sending him flying to the floor. Meli cried out as she felt something wet touch her face. She wiped at it with her hand, and something shoved her, knocking her forward. Raph reached out and managed to catch her before she hit the ground. He pulled her behind him and drew his other sai. "Stay behind me," he ordered. "Sensei, what's goin' on?"

"I fear that the force from Meli's dream is manifesting itself," Splinter said. Right as he finished his explanation, he was hit from behind in the knees, and had to take a leap to stay on his feet. "Do not let your guard down, Raphael!"

A rush of icy wind blew through the room, and Meli rubbed her arms. She did as Raph had told her, staying directly behind him. The shrieking came back, and this time, they all heard it. "What the? Where is that noise coming from?" Raph's voice was hard, as unyielding as she knew he would be while defending her.

"I think it's the force, or curse, or whatever," Meli said, speaking loudly to be heard over the maelstrom of noise permeating the lair. The TV suddenly crashed to the floor, making her jump. The pillows from the couch were airborne now, circling above their heads.

"C'mon, this is crazy," Raph said. "Just show yourself and let's get this over with!"

The shrieking rose to a high pitch and again died away. It was silent. The pillows fell to the floor, and Meli breathed a tiny sigh of relief. But before the relief could spread, something wet grabbed her right arm and yanked, hard. She felt something in her shoulder give, and gasped in pain. Raph immediately spun around and reached for her. "Meli!"

"Raph, help!" The force on her arm jerked mightily, and pulled her several feet away from him. He charged for her, snarling below his breath. The shrieking suddenly welled up and the force hit him hard, driving him down to the floor. She saw Splinter coming, and braced for the crash she was sure to follow, but the rat was thrown through the air and landed on the bench that ran the length of the back of the pit. He didn't get up. "Splinter!" she cried. The force jerked on her again, and white-hot pain echoed up and down her arm as the injured shoulder muscle screamed in agony. "No, let go of me!" She tried to pull back, but it was no use. The force wasn't releasing her arm, and was far too strong for her.

"Let her go!" Raph was up and moving, racing toward her, sai outstretched. Meli watched in horror as a swirl of white mist enveloped him and lifted him off the ground. He was yelling and twisting around, trying to get free. The mist carried him to the ceiling and let go, and he fell on top of the smashed TV. Meli heard him groaning, and he tried to push himself up.

"Raph!" The force was pulling her along swiftly now, toward the turnstiles, and she realized, in a instant of absolute terror, where the force was taking her. _The pool! _"Raph, help me! Please!" She turned her head toward him, saw him heave to his feet, and reached out toward him with her free hand.

"Hang on!" he yelled, and charged for her again. He ran in a zig-zag pattern this time, leaping over the couch and bench. The noise was overwhelming; the shrieking was at an all-time high, hurting her ears. She squirmed and jerked, doing everything she could to try and break the tight hold on her arm. Even throwing herself to the floor was useless; the force simply yanked her along. When they got to the turnstiles, it picked her up and threw her over, and she crashed into the dirt of the tunnel. She groaned even as the force jerked her up and started dragging her off.

"Oh no, you don't!" Raph was suddenly there beside her. He swung at the air surrounding them with his sais; the force shoved him, but he kept his feet this time. Taking hold of Meli's right arm, he locked eyes with her for an instant. "It's gonna hurt," he warned. She noded, knowing any pain was worth it if he could free her. He pulled sharply, eliciting a shriek from the force as it lost its grip on her. Raph swung his left arm around her and swept her up against his plastron before turning and running down the tunnel. Meli put her left arm around his neck and hung on for all she was worth. The ground began to shake beneath them.

"Look out!" she said as a chunk of the tunnel ceiling fell in front of them. Raph leapt over it, never breaking stride.

"No problem," he said. His breathing was steady, his gait fast. The tunnel curved, and he jumped suddenly, catching hold of an overhead pipe. He swung them both onto it, and held her close to him. They were as silent as they could be. The tunnel was quiet, the air still and calm. But Meli didn't trust it, not for one second. She knew now what the force wanted with her, and the terror was still there, even with Raph's arm tight around her waist. She laid her head on his chest, and he hugged her closer. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes.

As she was about to suggest that maybe it was over for now, there was a groaning sound in the walls of the old tunnel, and the pipes began to creak and moan. She looked at Raph. "This can't be good," she murmured. The place began to shake and the floor seemed to swell. A distant sound began to grow closer, until it mimicked thunder.

"Cripes." Raph hugged her closer, if that were possible, and locked eye contact with her. "I know that sound. It's a flood," he said. Meli's eyes widened and she clutched at him as fear assailed her.

"But how? Where would the water come from?" She was impressed that she could even talk.

"Water's underground, and in these pipes." His emerald eyes narrowed. "Don't worry. We're pretty high up."

"What about Splinter?" Fear caused her voice to rise.

"He should be okay. The water would have to be pretty high to reach the top of those stairs," he said. The noise was almost deafening now. He adjusted his hold on her. "I won't let go."

"I know." She pressed in close to him, trusting him to keep her safe. All at once a wall of water surged down the tunnel, and she realized it didn't matter how tightly they were hanging onto one another - the water was going to win.

The wave swept them from the pipe and carried them down the tunnel, driving them both underwater. Meli clung desperately to Raph, and he to her. He was trying to swim upward, to get them above the water, but Meli wasn't sure he could do it. The force seemed to be holding them both under. Her chest was aching, and she knew if she didn't get a breath soon, she was going to drown. Then Raph was holding her above water, and she was gasping, sucking in air.

"Breathe!" Raph said. "I've got you." He was holding her tightly with one arm and using the other to keep them afloat. "The water should run down soon." They were still being swept down the tunnel at an alarming rate, but at least they were together. As Meli started thinking they would be okay, something grabbed her ankle and pulled her under. She managed a short breath before being dragged down, and tried to squirm free. It was hard; her right shoulder was out of commission, and the force was simply too strong. But Raph wasn't about to lose her that easily, and he swam next to her, trying to pry her loose from the invisible hand holding her down.

_I can't do this much longer...Raph, please, help..._her chest constricted, and she gasped, water rushing into her throat, choking her. She felt Raph's arm around her waist and clutched at him, desperation in her grasp. Her lungs were burning, and she was slipping from consciousness, giving in to the water that weighed her down and sucked at her body. _This was what it felt like, then. Oh, Mom...Leo, I'm so sorry...Raph. _Meli's body contorted and she fell into a dark abyss.

_So cold. I hear someone, but what are they saying? What happened? Where am I? Where's all the water? Am I breathing now? _Very slowly, Meli regained consciousness. She was laying on the floor of the tunnel, on her back. Raph was kneeling over her, and when she met his eyes, they filled with amazement and joy. "Meli." He cautiously reached around her and hugged her close to him, and she let out a small sob while burrowing deeper into his arms. He let out a strangled sound that was half-chuckle and half-hysteria. "Man, am I glad you're okay," he said. He eased her back a little so he could see her face. His eyes searched hers. "You _are_ okay, right? Can you breathe?" Panic edged his voice.

She nodded. "I'm okay, thanks to you," she said. Her voice was hoarse, rough from having swallowed so much water. "But how, though? I-I really thought I was drowning. I couldn't hold my breath, and then I think I passed out."

He put his hands on her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. "You did pass out. I pulled you up to the surface, and then the water level just dropped. I knew you weren't breathing, so I, uh, well," he rubbed the back of his head, and she thought she saw him blush, "tried something I've seen people do in the movies." His gaze dropped down to her lips, and Meli's cheeks grew warm.

"You gave me mouth-to-mouth," she said. He nodded.

"I didn't think it would work, but I had to try _something_. And you started coughing and all this water came gushing out, and now, here you are. Breathing." He smiled then, that cocky grin that she was growing so fond of, and added, "Which is good, because Leo would've killed me if I let something happen to ya."

"Raph, I..." There wasn't much she could say, except, "Thank you." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He turned his head away, but not before she saw the tell-tale darkening of his skin.

"Yeah, well, like I said back on the pipe," he made a helpless gesture. "I wasn't lettin' go." He met her eyes for a second, just long enough for her to see how serious he was. Then he got to his feet and reached a hand down to her. "Come on. Let's get out of here before that stupid force comes back." She let him haul her to her feet, and he took her hand and started leading her back toward the lair. The water lapped at their ankles, and she shivered, realizing how cold she was. Raph kept up a steady pace, and soon they were climbing the stairs back to the lair. "Splinter!" Raph jumped the turnstiles and raced to his Sensei, gently shaking his shoulder. "Sensei, wake up. C'mon, wake up," he encouraged. Meli came to his side and gently touched the big rat's cheek. His fur was incredibly soft; she wondered if he brushed it to keep it that way. Splinter murmured in his sleep and blinked his eyes a few times, but didn't acknowledge them.

"I think he's okay," she said a moment later. "Just tired." She bit her lip and glanced around the lair. The TV was in a broken heap, and the pillows were scattered all over the place. "Mikey's going to be super upset about the TV," she whispered. Raph glanced over at it, and swore below his breath in Japanese.

"Yeah." He pointed across the pit. "You're shaking. You should go change, get into dry clothes. You'll warm up faster. I'll stay here with Splinter." His voice was low, commanding, and she nodded.

"Okay." She crossed the pit and went to Leo's room. The power was still out; she knew it would be now for a while, what with the flood having traversed the tunnels. She pulled out a change of clothes and peeled off the wet ones. Dressing in a dry jeans, T shirt, fuzzy socks and heavy sweatshirt, she ran her brush through her tangled hair and headed back out to Raph and Splinter. She had no desire whatsoever to be alone.

Raph was laying on the couch, a pillow tucked under his head, his eyes closed. She paused to study him. He was tough, and strong, and hot-tempered, but she'd also seen the gentle side of him, the sweet side that she suspected he didn't like to show much. Her eyes prickled with tears as she thought of how he'd taken care of her tonight, throwing himself in harm's way and saving her life, quite literally by breathing it back into her. _I don't deserve him. I don't deserve Leo, either. I really don't deserve any of them, at all. _She swallowed back the rise of tears in her throat and walked over to Splinter. Raph had tucked a pillow under his Sensei's head and covered him with a heavy blanket. She leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss over Splinter's cheek. _Thank you, for taking me in. I didn't know how badly I needed all of you. _She stared out over the turnstiles, her body rigid as she listened for any noises out of the ordinary, but there was nothing. Had the force expended all of its supernatural energy with the flood? Had that been its last-ditch effort to kill her? _And why was it trying to? Just because the boys buried the scroll? This is so weird and messed up._ Never in a bazillion years would she have thought her life would be so crazy. _I'm dating the best guy ever, who just happens to be a super big ninja turtle, and I have a whole new family. _That made her smile, but the thought of how crazy her real family was brought it crashing down into a scowl.

_Why did Dad get mixed up in this? Why is my uncle mixed up with it? Who really wants to destroy the world? _A sharp pain went through her head, and she decided she needed some Advil or ibuprofen or something to make her headache go away. _Not to mention my shoulder. _It had been hard to get it into the dry T shirt and sweatshirt, and she was sure it would take quite a while for it to feel any better. She headed to the bathroom, assuming that's where the boys kept their medicine. With no lights, it was hard to figure out what they had, but she finally found some ibuprofen and shook out two of those. She went to the kitchen next, and got a bottle of water from the fridge to wash them down with. Done with that, she went back to the pit and checked on her two protectors. As she put a blanket over Raph, his eyes popped open for a second.

"You should rest," he said. "You've gotta be exhausted."

She nodded. "I will. I'm just too shook up right now," she said. The idea of shutting her eyes and falling asleep, leaving her vulnerable to the force, was out of the question. It wasn't going to happen. And someone had to watch over her father and brother. "Go back to sleep. I know you're tired. And Splinter is okay. He was moving around a little bit ago." She rubbed at her right shoulder, wincing a little.

Raph frowned and sat up. He eyed her injured shoulder and then reached out to touch it. She jerked away before he made contact. "Meli, you're hurt. You should've said something." He started to get up, but she waved him down.

"No, it's okay. I just took some ibuprofen. It's fine," she assured him. But she must not have looked reassuring, because he got up and took her hand.

"Let me look at it," he said. But it hurt too much for anyone to touch it, and she backed away as far as he'd let her. His mouth flattened into a thin line. "It's not fine. C'mon." He gently tugged on her hand and led her out of the pit and into the kitchen. "Here, sit." He opened the freezer and rummaged around, turning to her with a bag of frozen peas. "I know it sounds weird, but they work great," he said. She nodded, and he put the bag against her shoulder. She sucked in her breath, making Raph's eyes narrow into deep slits. "The force did this, huh? When it was draggin' you out of the lair?" She nodded, and he turned his head away. She could still hear him muttering, though.

"Really, Raph, it's all right."

He shook his head. "No. Nothing about what happened tonight is 'all right,' Meli." He moved away and got a soda from the fridge. He patted his belt for a second. "Phone's gone. Musta lost it in the flood."

"I'm not sure where mine is." She sighed and leaned sideways, resting her head on the table. The coolness felt good against her flushed skin, and she closed her eyes for a moment, knowing her older brother was close by. _Older brother. Hmm. _The thought made her smile, and a slight giggle escaped her.

"Somethin' funny?" Raph had sat next to her, and his voice was questioning.

She nodded and looked up at him, leaving her head pressed against the table. "I was just thinking that you're my older brother." He wasn't _like_ an older brother - he just _was_. "But since you guys are all older than me, I guess you'd all be older brothers." Although, it was difficult to see Mikey in that light. He seemed younger than her.

"Except for Leo, right?" Raph smirked when she blushed. "But yeah, I guess so. So now you've got three brothers and a sister. All older."

"And a father," she added softly. "At least, one who's around." She hadn't meant for that statement to cause a rush of emotion, but it did, and all too quickly, too quickly to stop, she had her head in her hands and she was crying. Sobbing, really, so hard that her head throbbed. She didn't expect Raph to know what to say, but the feel of his strong arms folding her in close to his chest was better than words. He was quiet, just letting her get it out, and the weight of what had transpired that night was finally lifted as she was able to confront those emotions head-on from the protection he offered.

When she was finally out of tears, she pulled back from him and wiped her eyes. He didn't say anything, just watched her, concern highlighting his eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to-"

"Don't say that," he said, cutting her off. "That's what big brothers are for." The sheer honesty in his words shook her, and she quashed the few remaining tears that threatened to leak out. "I mean it," he added.

"Okay," she said, nodding. She hugged him, and he kissed her forehead before getting to his feet and holding out his hand.

"C'mon. I'm beat, and I know you are, too. Let's check on Splinter and get some sleep." They went to Splinter, who had turned on his side and seemed to be resting peacefully. "I talked to him a little when you were changing. He said he doesn't think he has a concussion or anything. He's just tired. I told him we were okay," Raph told her. He then walked her over to the couch and got her settled on it, covering her with a heavy blanket.

"What about Leo and the boys? Shouldn't they be back soon?" she asked. She saw his jaw tighten for a second before he relaxed again.

"Recon work takes a while, and knowing Leo, he won't come back until he's got some concrete answers. Don't worry," Raph said. He plopped himself down in the old recliner. "I'll be right here," he assured her. "Now get some sleep." He kicked the leg rest out and settled down into it. Soon he was snoring gently, and Meli smiled. She burrowed down into the blanket, and hoped that her boyfriend and brothers would be back soon. She had a lot to tell them.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sleeping when a noise woke her. She bolted upright, her heart slamming in her chest. But it wasn't a roar of wind or water; this was electronic, and consistent. _My phone._ She glanced around, and finally saw it on the floor near the bean bag chairs. Reaching for it, she looked at the number. It wasn't one she knew, but something told her she needed to take the call anyway. "Hello?" she said, trying to be quiet.

"Meli." Her name sounded like an answer to prayer, and her heart beat harder for a different reason.

"Leo. Are you okay? Where are you?" she asked. When he didn't answer right away, fear clutched at her. "Leo? What's going on?" A hand touched her arm, and she glanced over her shoulder at Raph, who was frowning. She put the phone on speaker setting so he could listen in.

"Leo, what's goin' on?" Raph asked.

"Raph. You guys okay?" Leo asked. His voice sounded strained.

"Yeah, we're fine. Where are you?" Raph said.

"We ran into some trouble tonight. We're okay, but we're, well, we're trapped at the moment." They heard him murmuring to someone else. "Listen, don't worry about us right now. Raph, Meli's uncle is working for Saito Haruki. He's the mad man who wants the scroll. He wants you to bring it and Meli to him at midnight tonight. Don't do it."

"If I don't, then what?" Raph asked. "Leo? Answer me," he added, when several seconds had gone by.

"Don't worry about us. We're all together, April too. We'll get out of this. Just keep Meli safe," Leo instructed. "I have to go. Someone's coming." The call disconnected, and Raph and Meli looked at each other.

"What phone number did they use?" Raph asked, and Meli showed him. "Donnie's phone." He got to his feet.

"Raph? We have to meet with this guy. I won't let the others get hurt because of me," Meli said. When he turned to her, his eyes hard, she shook her head. "I don't care what Leo said. They're going to hurt him and the others if we don't show."

"We don't even know where to meet him."

"I'll call my uncle." Meli scrolled through her calls, but Raph grabbed her phone away. "Raph, you know we have to do this."

"No. I didn't save your life tonight just to hand you over to Saito." He growled the man's name. "You stay here. I'll go after the others alone."

"Who's Saito?" Meli asked. They were speaking quietly, not wanting to wake Splinter. Raph sighed impatiently and motioned for her to follow him. They went to the dojo and he closed the door. It was pitch-black in here, and Meli stopped, feeling a strong sense of panic coming on. She swallowed hard, imagining the force waiting for her, waiting to drag her back into a watery hell.

"Meli? Hey." Raph touched her arm, making her jump. "You're okay." He took her hand and tugged her down onto the floor with him. "Listen, Saito is an old enemy of Splinter's, and of ours. He's no one to mess with. If he got his hands on you..." Raph shook his head. "It'd be bad, even if he didn't have the scroll."

"So that's all the more reason to go, then. I have to do something, Raph. Leo is in danger. I won't stay here and hide." She spoke forcefully, but wasn't sure if he was buying it.

"Well, you are. I can track Donnie's phone, now that I know that's what Leo used, and sneak in and bust them all out. Meanwhile, you're safe here at the lair with Splinter. Win-win." Raph sounded pleased with himself. Meli smacked his shoulder. "Hey!"

"I'm _not_ staying here. What if midnight comes and I don't show up? And you can't sneak in? Then what?" Her phone suddenly rang, and she saw it was her uncle's number. She shushed Raph when he started to say something. "Hello, Uncle Rafe." The speaker option was still on, and she decided to let Raph listen in.

"Meli. I assume you know why I'm calling. You either meet me at midnight, or I'm going to have a fun time dissecting your boyfriend. You do realize that dating a reptile is all kinds of disturbing, don't you? If you were going to live much longer, you'd need counseling."

"Where do you want to meet?" she asked. She checked-back her anger, knowing it would get her nowhere. Raph was practically snarling below his breath.

"At the old Sienar Fleet System warehouse. You know where that is, don't you? If not, GPS it. Oh, and bring the scroll. You're worthless without it. And I do mean _worthless_." Rafe coughed. "You know that your father knew all along what the scroll was? But did he care that he was placing you in danger? No. It's because you mean _nothing_ to him. And you mean nothing to me, unless you're paired with the scroll. So be a darling and show up at midnight with that piece of paper, or I'll have fun gutting your boyfriend and his brothers. Oh, and April? Well, she's very pretty. She'll fetch plenty of money on the slave market." Rafe ended the call and Meli dropped the phone, putting her hands over her face and breathing deeply to try and control some of the horror welling up inside her.

"Meli." Raph pulled her to him and rubbed her back. "None of that's going to happen, okay? I can get in and get them out. I know I can."

She shook her head. "No, Raph. It's not worth it. He'll do what he said, or if he doesn't, it sounds like this Saito guy will. No, we have to give him what he wants. At least, partially." She took a deep breath. "I know where we can get another scroll. I have a couple antique ones at the Trove. They look enough like the real one that maybe we can bluff. If I can stall them, you could get the others out."

"That's insane."

"I know. But what other choice do we have?" They didn't have any, and she knew he knew it. "Come on. It's almost eleven now. We have to get to the Trove." She got to her feet and he stood up as well. But before she could move away, he caught her wrist and held her still.

"Don't believe anything your uncle said about you. You're _not_ either of those two things," he said. His voice was gentle, but with a steel underlay. "You mean a lot to this family, and you're not worthless." He was still for a moment, and then added, "And I won't let him or Saito hurt you. Nothing else is going to hurt you tonight."

"Thank you, bro," she said. She hugged him fiercely, and he hugged her back just as tightly. "We can't leave Splinter here, though, not by himself. What if the force comes back?" she said once they'd let go of each other. She couldn't stand the thought of something hurting Splinter again.

The door to the dojo opened; Raph immediately pushed Meli back and got in front of her, his sais drawn. "What is going on?" Splinter asked as he stepped inside. "I heard you speaking to someone."

Raph sheathed his weapons. "That was Meli's uncle. He wants us to bring the scroll to an old warehouse."

"That will not be happening," Splinter said. "We will not give in to that mad man."

"Um, Sensei, there's something else," Raph said. Meli could feel tension coming off him. "Leo and the others were captured. He called us on Donnie's phone, and said Rafe is working for Saito Haruki." Both of them heard Splinter's sharp intake of breath, and Meli was pretty sure she heard some cursing in Japanese happening.

"My uncle said if we don't bring the scroll, they're going to kill Leo, Donnie, and Mikey, and sell April on the slave market." Meli was proud of herself for getting through that; the thought of any of those things happening was enough to make her stomach threaten to give up the chips she'd eaten earlier. "So you see, we _have_ to go. I won't let them hurt Leo and the others."

"Hmm." Splinter was quiet for several moments. "And do you have a plan of attack?"

"We do," Raph confirmed. "Meli has some other old scrolls at the Trove. She's going to give one of those to Saito, and try to bluff long enough for me to break in and rescue the others. I can trace Donnie's phone's GPS." He reached over and took Meli's hand, squeezing it. "Like she said, Sensei, we've gotta go. They need us."

"As much I don't want to agree with you, this may be the only way." Splinter took a few steps closer to them. "You will need to be very, very careful. Even without the real scroll, Saito is a dangerous man. He could still do you much harm."

"Don't worry about her, Sensei. I've got her back," Raph told him.

"But will you be okay here?" Meli asked. "What if the force comes back?"

"Do not worry about me. I was caught off-guard before. I can guarantee that won't happen again," Splinter assured her. "Now go. It is getting late."

"Yes, Father." Raph started from the room, but Meli hung back. She looked up at Splinter.

"Don't worry. We'll get the others back," she said. "And we'll be careful." She wasn't sure why she was compelled to say anything, but she felt it needed to be said.

Splinter reached out and gave her forearm a gentle squeeze. "I am trusting in both of you, Meli. Go, and take care of each other."

"We will." And then she hurried out of the dojo, where Raph was waiting impatiently for her. He had two flashlights and handed her one. "Let's do this," she said, looking up at him.

He nodded. "C'mon." As they ran up the steps and cleared the turnstiles, Meli geared herself up for what was coming. It wasn't the smartest idea she'd ever had, and she knew Splinter wasn't comfortable with it, but it was the best they could come up with. Leo's life, and those of their brothers and sister, were depending on it. Depending on them.


	14. Rescue

I don't own any Turtles. Or April, or Splinter.

Wow, seriously, thank you for all of your enthusiasm for this story! I'm excited to share it with all of you, and so glad that you're enjoying it.

STRONGER

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: RESCUE

They entered the Trove through the back door, and Meli moved cautiously through her home. The scrolls were in a glass-front bookcase near the back of the store; she hoped they hadn't been damaged from the earlier drive-by. Raph stayed close to her, and she knew he wouldn't hesitate to strike if anyone or thing came near them. She shined her flashlight over the case, and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "They're okay," she whispered and pulled the door open. Raph stood at her shoulder.

"So which one do we take?" he asked, looking them over.

"I'd say this one. It looks the closest to the cursed one," she said. She unrolled it and together they looked over the words written on it. "What do you think?"

"Yeah, looks good to me," he said. "Come on. We've only got twenty minutes." There was tension in his voice, and she nodded, knowing this was one deadline they couldn't afford to miss. They hurried out of the store and ran across the street. The darkness covered them well, and they ran down the sidewalk. The old Sienar Fleet Systems warehouse wasn't far from the Trove; Meli knew they could make it there in ten minutes, even with her slowing them up. Raph kept pace next to her, and she appreciated his nearness. This wasn't going to be easy, for either of them, and she knew he still wasn't quite comfortable with their plan.

They stopped across the street from the old building, and Raph put his hands on her shoulders. His eyes were deep, focused. "Are you sure about this?"

She swallowed and nodded. "Yes. You find them and get them out. I'll bluff my uncle and Saito with this." She held up the scroll. Her heart was pounding, and her nerves were tingling, on-fire with anticipation of what they were about to attempt. "Be careful, Raph." Her voice was shaky, but she couldn't help it.

He nodded. "You too, Meli. And don't worry - I've got your back. Once I free the others, we'll get you out of there." His voice was hard with conviction, and she trusted in his ability to do what he said. She started to turn away, but he held her back. "Don't do anything dumb, okay? I mean it." There was a single thread of fear weaved through his voice, and her eyes softened.

"I won't. I promise." She gave him a quick hug and turned to start across the street. Raph would wait until she was inside, and find a different way in. The tracker on Donnie's phone indicated he was inside the building; it was Raph's mission to find the group and rescue them. Meli stopped in front of the warehouse doors. _Do I knock, or what?_ As she raised her hand to do so, the door cracked open, and she found herself face-to-face with her uncle.

"You're alone? No bodyguard?" Rafe asked. His dark eyes were narrowed. "Where is the fourth turtle?"

"He didn't come. He thought I was stupid to give in to you," she said. She was very proud that her voice was under control - it didn't shake at all. "Let's just get this over with, Uncle Rafe." She pushed into the building, making sure to elbow him as she went by. This wasn't the time to show any fear. Leo needed her to be brave.

"Give the scroll to me," Rafe said, reaching out to grab her arm.

She jerked away from him, glad he'd grabbed her left one. Her right shoulder was still killing her. "No. Not until I meet this demented man you're working for. I'll give it to _him_, since he's really the one in charge." She kept her voice low. Rafe moved closer and glared at her, but she held her ground. _I have to. I have to give Raph the time he needs._ "So, where is he?"

"Right this way." Rafe turned and beckoned to her. She followed, hyper-aware of her surroundings. _Donnie would be proud._ He led her into a small back room, and knelt to pull up a door from the floor. "After you, darling," he said, a wicked smile on his lean face. She leaned over and stared down into the hole. A narrow ladder lined one wall, and she shoved the scroll inside her sweatshirt. Taking a deep breath, she started climbing down. Once at the bottom, she was met by four men in dark jeans and blazers. They were all carrying assault rifles.

"Come along." Rafe took her left arm and led her down the narrow tunnel, the four men following them. Meli's breathing was growing harsh; she had to remind herself that she was okay for now. No one knew the scroll was a fake. The tunnel opened up into a big room, lit by dozens of glowing candles set into the walls. It was a throw back to every medieval movie she'd ever seen, and creeped her out. "Right here," Rafe said, and stopped her near a raised platform made of smooth white stone. Meli inwardly recoiled. The four gunmen stayed near the entry to the room, and she knew she'd never get past them if she tried to run.

"So this is the young lady who's going to help us destroy the world." A Japanese man stepped from the shadows, a nasty smile on his face. "Well done, Rafe. She's perfect."

"Why do you want to do this?" Meli asked. She pressed back against the platform, attempting to keep some sort of distance between herself and the mad man.

"The world is a very evil place, Miss Tomkins. It needs to be destroyed in order to be reborn," the man explained. He stopped in front of her and held out his hand. "I am Saito Haruki."

She ignored his outstretched hand. "You know the scroll will destroy _all_ humans, right? Including you?"

Saito's eyes narrowed when she didn't accept his hand. "I am well aware of that. But, you see, I won't be human." He gestured toward a medium-sized cage just off to the left. "I will become a mutant, and thus survive the human holocaust." Meli leaned a little toward the cage, and Saito snapped his fingers at someone. A ninja, clad in black and wearing a mask, moved out of the shadows and picked it up, bringing it over to them. Inside the cage was a nasty-looking orange and white reptile, and Meli drew away as far she could. "This is a Tokay gecko." Saito tapped the side of the glass cage; the gecko immediately lunged at his hand. "Although not very big, it is a very bad-tempered little fellow." Saito chuckled and looked at Meli. "It is perfect for mutating with me."

"You're seriously sick, you know that?" Meli knew as soon as the words left her mouth that she'd said the wrong thing. Saito grabbed her around the neck in a move too fast to see and yanked her to him. She struggled, fear spreading through her as she watched his eyes fill with vicious intent.

"You would be wise to shut your mouth, little girl," he growled and shoved her backwards. Meli struck the back of her head on the platform and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to deal with the pain. When she opened them again, she saw Saito lifting a canister of glowing green ooze from a large briefcase. He handled it carefully, and showed it to her. "This is what made your turtle friends and their giant rat master what they are today," he said. "Mutagen. And it's going to make me the master of the new world."

"Are you using that stuff too?" she asked her uncle. Rafe was standing near her; his eyes were fixated on the canister.

"Yes. I do want to survive this destruction," he said, never taking his eyes from the green goo.

"So, um, what about all of your men? Your ninjas? You're going to mutate them, too?" she asked. She figured talking was about her only real way to stall now; once they saw the scroll and tried to read it, they would know it was fake and she'd be in serious trouble. _Oh, Raph, I hope you're okay. I hope you can get them all out._ _I need Leo. _

Saito glanced at her. "There's enough here to mutate everyone that I deem worthy, yes. Of course, that doesn't include you. We need you to act as the conduit for the supernatural force."

"About that." Meli thought carefully as to how she should pose her question. "What exactly _is_ the force, anyway?"

Saito handed the canister to one of the ninjas and walked back over to her. She stood her ground, not giving in the fear that rampaged through her. "It is the spirit of a very powerful king, a man deposed by his own sons and thrown into a lake to drown. He vowed vengeance on them all before they shoved him from the bridge." Saito stroked his chin. "When his spirit arose against them, his sons had their mother write a spell on a piece of enchanted parchment and bound the spirit to it. They thought that this would end their father's terrible reign, once and for all."

"And did it?" she asked. She couldn't take his nearness and pushed back against the platform behind her. He scoffed.

"They underestimated his power. The scroll did keep him bound, but his only daughter, believing her brothers and mother to be wrong, added her own sorcery to the scroll. Whoever was foolish enough to read the entire scroll would unleash the king's spirit, and in his fury at being held prisoner, he would destroy the entire world."

Meli looked at her uncle. "But the scroll is cursed, too, isn't it? If anyone tried to destroy it, wouldn't the curse be unleashed? Is that different from the king's spirit?"

"Ah yes, the curse." Saito laughed, a sadistic sound that caused Meli to shiver. "You are a clever little girl. This was placed upon the scroll by the king's daughter as well, to protect her father's violent spirit. The scroll doesn't have to be destroyed for the curse to react. If someone threatens the scroll, or tries to hide it away, the curse will seek out the one bound to it, and wreak havoc on that person until the scroll is retrieved." Saito leaned very close to her, his breath swarming up her nose. "You seem to be very interested in this curse, Miss Tomkins. Perhaps you have had a run-in with it?" Saito looked at Rafe. "Leonardo did tell you they no longer possessed the scroll, didn't he?" Rafe nodded. Saito chuckled and looked back at Meli. He reached to touch her face; she jerked her head to the side and he grabbed her chin, tipping her head back at an unnatural angle. "You _did_ bring me the real scroll, didn't you, Miss Tomkins? I hope for your sake, and those of the turtles and Miss O'Neil, you did."

Meli struggled against his hold, but he didn't release her. She tried to think. It was her only option at this point. "Are you using that one lizard to mutate everyone? Does it work like that?" she asked, desperate to turn his attention from the scroll to something else.

Saito gave her left cheek a smack and let go of her. "I have something else in mind for everyone else," he told her. He pointed across the room, where a smaller glass cage was. "Those are smaller, less harmful geckos. They will form my army," he said.

"Wait." Rafe moved toward him, an ugly expression on his face. "You told me I would be powerful if I helped you. I want to be one of the Tokays, not some smaller, worthless creature."

"You misunderstood me. I will let you lead my army, but you will not be Tokay." Saito backed away from Meli. "Now, let us begin the mutation."

"But your army will be really super small," Meli said. She kept her voice even. When Saito narrowed his eyes, she added, "I mean, if you're only going to mutate these few ninjas and my uncle's men, then what? It's not like there'll be any other humans left for you to mutate, right? Then what?"

"You don't really think that I haven't thought this all through, do you, Miss Tompkins? That I wouldn't have already mutated a vast number of people for my plan? How do you think your father found out about the scroll? He stumbled upon my plan a year ago, and spent the next several months attempting to find the scroll before I did. And, unfortunately, he did. But he sent it to his helpless young daughter, who is now going to hand it over so I may use her body as a conduit for the old king's extremely vile spirit." Saito grinned; it reminded Meli of every video she'd ever seen of a Great White shark. "Now, let's get this going." He nodded to the ninja who held the canister and he brought it to Saito. "The lizards, if you please. Rafe, your four men have been found trustworthy. They may also use the mutagen."

"Of course." Rafe spoke in a sharp voice, and Meli guessed he still wasn't happy about not being mutated with the bigger Tokay gecko. She shuddered as the lizards were taken out of their cages and passed around to the black-clad ninja and the four men with the rifles. They were still plenty big enough.

"Uncle Rafe, please. You don't have to do this," she said, trying to get his attention.

He turned to face her. "Yes, I do. It is the perfect revenge on your father, for letting your mother, my _sister_, drown that day. He should've been there with her." His voice was dark, filled with pain that Meli understood but couldn't erase.

"It wasn't his fault. If he'd been with her, you know he would've saved her. He loved her very much, and-"

"Don't speak to me about _love_!" Rafe took three strides and leaned down into her face. His dark eyes snapped and flashed with hatred. "Love gets you no where! It's foolish and petty! You should know - where is that stupid turtle you think you've fallen for? He's not going to save you, Melisande. _Nothing_ can save you now." He was breathing hard, and she felt tears in the corners of her eyes.

"No, you're wrong, Uncle Rafe. Even if Leo isn't able to save me, I know he loves me. If it was within his power, he'd _never_ let anything happen to me." She lifted her chin. "Just because my father wasn't able to save my mother, doesn't mean he didn't love her with all of his heart. He did. I know he did. He still does." She waved her hand toward Saito. "You're letting your hate for my dad turn you into a terrible person. Saito is going to _destroy the world_, and you're just going to let him." A small sob choked from her throat on the last few words, and she quickly wiped away a few tears that had spilled down her cheeks.

Rafe took a step back from her. "This world isn't fit for anyone anymore. Saito will usher in a new era of superiority and power." He turned away and added over his shoulder, "It will be a better world."

"Come, Rafe. Let us become our new selves." Saito held out a medium-sized gecko to him; Meli saw it was the biggest of the bunch, and knew that would pacify him. She started to slip away from them all; no one had bothered to tie her up, and they were all gathered around Saito and the mutagen now, all willing to help him wreck the very world they lived in.

"Where do you think _you're_ going?" She stared up a very large, very mean-looking lizard man, and all her blood seemed to rush to her feet. He smiled, revealing a set of disturbingly sharp teeth. "You didn't think Saito would come here without bringing a few of his mutant army, did you, little girl?" He reached out and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off the ground. He wore a black headband bearing the same insignia as the black-clad ninjas, and she saw a pair of katana strapped across his muscular back. He carried her back to the stone slab and slammed her down on it. Meli cried out as pain spread like wildfire through her back. He chained her ankles and wrists down to the slab, tight enough that she had absolutely no wiggle room. "She is ready, master," the lizard said.

"Very good." Saito glanced at her. "And now, we begin." He opened the can of ooze, and they all began reaching into it and rubbing the stuff on themselves. Meli watched in horror as the men began to change, most of them crying out as their DNA was rearranged, tangling and clinging to the lizard DNA. She wanted to look away, and found herself unable to do so. Her uncle's form twisted and grew, and when he turned his head toward her, he smiled, revealing a set of grisly teeth. She closed her eyes.

_Leo, Raph, Donnie, Mikey... please hurry. I need you guys!_ Someone grabbed her by the front of her sweatshirt, and she snapped her eyes open. Saito, now a brilliant orange and white and over six feet tall, stared down at her with reptilian eyes. "Now, give me the scroll!" he ordered. She knew this was it; once he had it in his grotesque hands, he would know it was fake. She took a deep breath, and tried not to fear him.

"You don't have to do this," she whispered. He growled and drew back his arm, but Rafe, now a speckled green and yellow, grabbed it.

"Stop. If you harm her, she might not be strong enough for the spirit to use," he said. Saito snarled, but finally nodded. He stepped aside, and Rafe leaned over Meli. "We need the scroll, Meli. Give it to me."

She swallowed hard. Stalling was no longer an option. "It's tucked inside my sweatshirt," she said. Her wrists were numb already from the pressure of the chains tying her down, and every part of her body hurt. _Stay strong. You know the boys are coming. And April, too. They won't let you down._ Rafe unzipped her sweatshirt and pulled out the scroll. As he started to unroll it, she suddenly said, "Wait! Do any of you know the old language? You have to be able to read the entire thing for it to work."

"I know the language," Saito growled. He jerked the scroll from Rafe's grasp and unrolled it. Meli's heart thundered in her chest as she watched his eyes move down the paper. He roared and wadded up the paper, throwing it to the ground. "A fake!" he snarled and shoved Rafe out of the way. "Where is it?" he yelled, and grabbed her shoulders. He started shaking her hard, back and forth, and her head hit the stone slab.

"Leo!" she screamed, hoping that Raph had been able to free them, hoping that even now, the four turtles were racing to her aide. She wasn't sure Donnie or Leo would allow April to come with them - they would want to keep her as safe as possible, too. "Raph, help!"

"Shut up! You stupid, infernal girl!" Saito drew back his clawed hand, and this time, Rafe let him strike him. Saito's claws raked her across the left cheek and she screamed in pain. Squirming as hard as she could, she knew there was no way to escape unless the boys came for her. "You see, Miss Tompkins, you should've brought me the real scroll." Saito backed away for a moment. His body was shaking; she wasn't sure if that was from the new mutation, or from his anger. She suspected both. "Now, you're going to tell us where it is."

"No. I won't," she whispered. "I won't help any of you."

Saito snarled and grabbed her again. He jerked her upward as much as he could, with the chains binding her, and started to slam her backward. Meli squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact. But then Saito screamed in rage, letting go of her. She opened her eyes and saw a throwing star sticking out of his forearm, and she turned her head. The four turtles were racing toward them, and she let out a cry of relief.

"Get away from her!" Leo yelled. He'd drawn his katana, and was charging directly for Saito.

"Leo, look out!" Meli called. The huge lizard man who'd chained her to the slab was running at him, his own katana brandished in a battle pose. But he didn't get anywhere near the turtle in blue: Raph and Donnie met the lizard half-way and knocked him to the ground. Leo reached Saito and lunged, driving his swords into him. Saito roared and kicked out, but Leo was too quick. He'd already pulled his weapons clear and was now rushing Saito, pummeling him with the blunt sides of the katana.

"Mikey, get Meli!" Leo instructed as he drove Saito back. Mikey appeared at the slab, and Meli saw the blade gleaming at the end of his nunchuks.

"Hang on, Mel. Have you outta here in no time," Mikey said. He started working on her ankles, and she tried to breathe deep, tried to relax. Though she wasn't entirely safe yet, she was a whole lot safer now. Donnie and Raph were engaging the newly-mutated ninjas, but she didn't see her uncle's men.

"Some of them have assault rifles!" she called out, and saw Raph swing his head toward her for a second. He nodded and turned back toward the fight. Donnie had taken out three of the ninjas with his bo staff, but the big lizard man was on his feet again and storming toward them.

"Stop that!" Rafe was reaching for Mikey, but the youngest turtle simply snapped out one of his nunchuks and rapped him upside the head. Rafe went down hard and was still.

Mikey caught Meli's gaze and shrugged. "He's a jerk, Meli. Had to be done," he said and went back to work on freeing her ankles. A burst of gunfire from behind her made her jump. Mikey came to her side and started working on her right wrist. "Stay calm," he told her, and she couldn't believe that this was the same Michelangelo. His eyes were narrowed in concentration, and he worked skillfully on the chain. Another outburst from an assault rifle had her automatically trying to get free, and Mikey leaned over her. He took her chin in his strong hand and made her look at him. "It's okay. I won't let those guys hurt you," he said. "Just stay still a couple more seconds. I'm almost done."

"Okay," she said, her voice trembling. Mikey nodded and got back to work. He had her right wrist free and immediately moved to her left one.

"Raph, take out those guns!" Leo ordered from somewhere off to her left, and she turned her head, desperate to catch another glimpse of him, to reassure herself that he was all right.

"Got it!" Mikey reached around her shoulders and set her upright, then held his arms out to her. "Come on!" She slid off the slab and he caught her, his arms steady around her waist. "Leo, I got her!"

Leo threw a glance back at them over his shoulder. "Get her out of here, Mikey, now!"

"Okay!" Mikey grabbed her hand and tugged. "Come on, Meli, run!" He started to take off, and as she made to follow, something strong caught her around the waist. She looked down in horror to see a orange and white spotted tail. It jerked her backward, breaking her contact with Mikey.

"You're not going anywhere!" Saito yelled. He whipped her around until she was facing him. "Stupid girl!" he snarled. He yanked her close to him and grabbed her around the throat, squeezing hard. Meli tried to pull back, but his grip was much too strong, and she gasped, trying to breathe.

"Let go of her!" Raph was suddenly there and stuck his sais into Saito's side. Saito roared but didn't release Meli. He picked her up off the floor and shook her. She pulled at his hand, her vision beginning to fade out as her lungs shut down. As Raph attacked him in fury, Saito drew back his arm and threw Meli across the room. She didn't have the air to scream. She heard Raph yell, and closed her eyes. She didn't want to see what this landing would look like.

But it wasn't as hard as she'd thought it would be. "Got you!" Leo said as he caught her. He stumbled backward and knocked several of the candle stands down, snuffing out some of the light in the room. "Meli? Meli." Leo's voice was tight with tension. She lifted her head and looked up into his blue eyes, and saw them explode with pure hatred and anger. "He'll pay for this," he said. He set her down on her feet, and she clutched at his arm.

"Leo, don't. We have to get out of here," she said. He touched her cheek.

"Not until I take care of him." He turned and Meli saw Saito standing there, a vicious grin on his twisted face. He was holding one of the assault riffles. Leo instantly moved Meli behind him and stood protectively in front of her. "It's over, Saito. You're not going to be destroying anything tonight," he growled.

Saito lifted the gun and shot straight up. Pieces of the ceiling fell down around them. Around them the fighting stopped. Meli saw Raph and Donnie edging their way toward her and Leo. Mikey was grappling with two of the lizard ninjas. "There's no way out of here, Leonardo. But if you were to tell me where the scroll was, we might make a deal," Saito said.

"In your dreams." Leo crossed his katana in front of him.

"You know I won't go away. I'll hunt her down and make her tell me," Saito countered. "It would be far easier for you to let me have her now."

Meli saw Leo's body coil with tension. She wished there was something, anything, she could do to end this. "I won't let you touch her," Leo said.

Saito shook his head. "Such a pity." He swung the rifle toward Donnie, who froze, his eyes wide. "But if you won't cooperate, then someone must pay."

"No!" Meli screamed, unable to keep quiet any longer. She grabbed a throwing star that had been discarded and threw it with all her might at Saito. It caught him square in the cheek, and he dropped the gun and went to his knees while clutching at his face, roaring in pain. Leo spun and grabbed her hand, pulling her along behind him.

"Run!" he ordered. Raph and Donnie fell in behind them, and Mikey raced to Meli's side. They burst out of the room and ran blindly down the dark tunnel. April stepped out from the shadows and fell in-step with Donnie. Meli ran as fast as she could, knowing there was no room for error. She had to stay on her feet. They pounded along the tunnel, and it began to descend, deeper and deeper into the earth. Her lungs were aching and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep pace with them, but Raph swung her up into his arms without breaking stride. She glanced over and saw that Donnie had April in his arms.

They ran for a long time. Meli was amazed at their stamina, though she knew they wouldn't stop until they'd put a lot of distance between themselves and Saito. Finally, they stopped. Raph set her down and bent over, breathing hard. Leo came to her side and wrapped both arms around her, holding her as close to him as he could. She put her head on his plastron, listening to the pounding of his heart. Donnie put April down and fell back against the tunnel wall, gasping, and Mikey threw himself onto the ground, groaning.

"Everyone okay?" Leo asked a couple minutes later, after they'd all caught their breath.

"Yeah, just peachy," Raph said. "Let's never do _that_ again."

"April, you all right?" Donnie asked.

"I'm fine," she quickly answered. "I wasn't sure you guys were getting out of there, especially after I heard the gunfire." There was a slight hitch of terror in her voice; Donnie reached out and tugged her to him, putting his arms around her.

"Are _you_ okay?" Leo asked, looking down at Meli. She could just make out his face, as her eyes were adjusting to the darkness.

"Yeah," she said, knowing that she probably wasn't, but not wanting to upset him. She felt him run his hands up and down her arms and back. "Thank you," she whispered. "What is this, the fourth time you've saved me now?"

His teeth flashed in the dark. "I think so, but I'm not keeping a running tally." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then looked out at his brothers. "We need to keep going. Saito won't stay down for long."

"I'm just glad he went down at all," Donnie said. "That was a nice throw, Meli."

"Thanks. It was pure luck," she said.

"Let's go," Leo said. He took Meli's hand and kept her close to his side.

"Do you know where we are?" she asked quietly. The others fell in behind them; she glanced back and saw that the boys had formed a protective ring around April.

"Sort of," Leo told her. He squeezed her hand. "Don't worry. We'll stay ahead of them."

"Okay." But she wondered if it really was going to be okay. Now that Saito and her uncle had mutated, they wouldn't give up on trying to find the scroll. And she wasn't sure the scroll had expended all of its supernatural energy, either. _I hope Splinter is all right._

"Hey, don't worry. We're all in this together, Meli. We'll find a way to solve this. I promise," Leo whispered to her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment so he could feel her nod.

He was right. At the very least, they all had each other. They had their family.


	15. Confrontation

I don't own the Turtles, April, or Splinter. Oh, but if I did. Dang.

Thank you for all the reviews - I love hearing what you have to say. And for all the favorites and follows - these are great too. I'm glad to see so many people enjoying this story. And there will be other stories to come, as well. I'm having fun playing in the Turtles' world!

STRONGER

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: CONFRONTATION

It felt like they'd been in the tunnel system forever. Leo knew Meli had to be exhausted, and April, too, for that matter. He and his brothers had more stamina than the girls, and he hated pushing them, but it had to be done. They had to keep ahead of Saito and Rafe, and their horde of lizard men. _More mutants to deal with. Great._ They hadn't seen Dog Pound in a long time, but it didn't mean he wasn't still out there, and every now and then, they ran into some other mutant, but it happened less and less. Mikey still hung with Leatherhead a little, but the giant crocodile liked his solitary lifestyle, and didn't tend to like many visitors.

"You holding up okay?" he asked, giving Meli's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah," she said. He frowned; he didn't like the lackluster quality of her normally sweet voice. He heard his brothers and April murmuring behind him; he supposed they were asking her the exact same thing. For all of her kunoichi training, she was still a twenty-three year old woman, and though in excellent shape by human standards, by ninja turtle standards, she was found wanting.

"I'm sorry I have to push you," Leo said, glancing down at his girlfriend's dark head. "We have to be sure they can't trace us to the lair."

"I know. It's okay," Meli said. She stumbled and he steadied her. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" she asked.

"No. They roughed us up a little, but nothing we couldn't handle," he assured her. In truth, it'd been rougher than they were used to these days. Mikey and Donnie had finally come around, after he and April had gotten themselves loose and untied them. Then he'd used Donnie's T-phone to call Meli, knowing that if Raph intended to come rescue them, he could track the phone with GPS. And that was exactly what Raph had done, though Leo hadn't been at all excited to learn his girlfriend was with her crazy uncle and Saito, fending for herself. But Raph hadn't been thrilled with the plan, either - he'd griped about it the whole time he'd been taking down the four Foot who'd been guarding the locked door.

They were quiet for a time after that; it seemed that talking required too much precious energy to engage in. Meli leaned against him and he put his arm around her, wishing he could clap his hands and be back at the lair so that she could rest. He'd asked Raph if the force had done anything to them; his brother had been pretty vague, saying only that some things had gone down, but Splinter, Meli, and himself were all right. Leo didn't like the sound of that: it sounded to him like a whole _lot_ had gone down, and he wanted to know what. But now wasn't the time. Meli was almost asleep on her feet, her adrenaline winding down.

He stopped after awhile and turned to face his brothers and April. She was leaning against Mikey, who looked ready to drop too. "Donnie, when do the tunnels start cutting back toward the lair?" Leo asked.

Donnie sighed. "I don't know this part of the system as well, and those idiots took my bag. I had maps in there. My best guess is in the next half-hour we'll see some tunnels that we can cut across."

"Is it safe, though? We don't want to lead them to the lair," April said.

"Yeah, what April said," Mikey echoed sleepily.

"We've been down here for quite a long time. I think it will be okay by the time the other tunnels start to open up," Leo said. "Come on. Let's keep going." He turned back around and resumed walking. Meli stayed close to him, clinging to his hand. _Something bad happened with the force. I know it did. _He hated the fact that he hadn't been there for her, even though Raph had kept her safe.

"Anyone else hear that?" Raph asked, his voice tense. They all stopped.

"Hear what?" Donnie asked, and Raph shushed him. Leo strained his ears, as he knew they were all doing. It wasn't unusual for Raph to be the first to hear something.

"That." Raph took a step closer to April, boxing her in between himself and Mikey.

"I still don't-" Donnie broke off as a hissing noise reached them. He put his hand on April's shoulder. "What is that?"

"I don't know, but we're not standing around to find out. Move!" Leo ordered. He broke into a run, pulling Meli along with him. They were basically running blind, and he knew it, but there wasn't much they could do. They'd vetoed flashlights, not wanting the light to draw their adversaries to them. Meli was valiantly keeping up, but he knew they couldn't hack this pace for long. There was a very loud boom behind them, and then the ceiling began to fall around them. Leo pulled Meli close to him and put his arm up around her head, trying to protect her from the debris.

"Leo, we gotta move faster!" Raph called out. But even as Leo was about to swing Meli up into his arms, a roar filled the tunnel around them and he slid to a halt. "What are you doing? Run!" Raph said, giving him a shove.

"Quiet," Leo said. Around them the walls were vibrating. "Everyone stay still." He wrapped Meli in his arms, feeling her tremble against him. There was another roar, and a pipe burst over their head, spraying them with icy water. Meli jerked and tried to burrow deeper into his arms. "It's okay, it's okay," he said, trying to soothe her.

"Leo, we can't stay here," Donnie said. "Something very bad is about to happen!"

He knew his brother was right, but where did they go? He hated running without knowing what they were running from. A few seconds later, though, and he knew exactly what they were trying to escape.

"I know you're trying to flee, Leonardo, but we won't let you," a nasty voice called from behind them. "Please don't tell me you thought you could outrun a group of lizard men!" Saito's voice was loud and rough. Leo picked Meli up and sprinted down the tunnel, knowing he didn't need to encourage his brothers and April to do the same.

The roaring and hissing sounds faded as they put distance between themselves and Saito and his pyschos, but Leo knew it wasn't going to be nearly enough. And there was no way they could turn for the lair now. He refused to lead Saito to Splinter and their home. They were passing tunnels now that led into other directions, but without Donnie's maps, they couldn't be sure where they were really headed. This part of the maze of old subway tunnels and sewer systems was virtually unknown to them.

"Leo, we need to rest," Donnie called, and Leo made an executive decision that was his alone to make. He turned down a tunnel that led to the right, and it sloped downward at a pretty steep angle. He slid, hoping that he'd made a good call on this tunnel. Meli clung tightly to him, her head tucked up on his shoulder, and he held her close, not willing to let any more harm come to her. Behind them the others were sliding too, and Leo hoped he hadn't made a bad call picking this tunnel. But it evened out, and he stopped, waiting for the others to catch up with them.

"So what now, Captain?" Raph asked. He stood next to April, his hand on her shoulder. "We can't go back to the lair with those creeps runnin' around."

Leo felt Meli sag against him. "I know. Let's rest here for awhile before we do anything. We're all tired." He sat down and pulled her into his lap. She curled up into him and he wrapped one arm around her and put his other back for support. The others all sat, and Mikey stretched flat-out on his back and immediately closed his eyes. Donnie pulled a flashlight off his belt and clicked it on, shining the light around the tunnel. The ground was hard and dry, and there were no pipes overhead.

"Saito won't give up," April murmured. She was sitting back-to-back with Raph.

"At least there's not a lot of those lizard men," Donnie said. "Only as many as he had there with him."

Meli lifted her head and shifted around in Leo's lap so she was facing the group. "No, he has more. He told me he mutated an army before coming here," she said. Her voice was hoarse, and tremors raced up and down her body. "April's right; now that he's mutated himself, he's not going to give up until he gets the scroll."

"He's not getting the scroll." Leo's voice was hard. "I won't let that happen." He rubbed her back, wishing he was at the lair and could really talk to her. He wanted to know what had gone on with the force, and he knew she was hurt. _Saito's going to pay for everything he did. I'll make sure of that. _Though Leo was normally able to keep his temper subdued, it was getting harder to do so when his girlfriend had been injured. _Injured because I let us get caught. _He knew that wasn't really accurate; he and his brothers had fought valiantly to stay free, but the Foot had been too many in number.

"So what do we do, then?" April asked. He looked at her; she was watching him, her blue eyes intense. "We can't stay down here forever."

"I know." The trouble was, he wasn't sure what to do. They'd been in bad spots before, so that was nothing new, but the supernatural aspect of this problem was throwing him a curve. How did they get rid of something that was cursed? "Meli, did anything happen with the force?" he asked, keeping his voice low and calm. He sensed Raph looking at him but ignored his brother. She stiffened, and he took that as a very bad sign. "What happened?" he asked. Everyone was watching them now; Donnie had sat next to April and Mikey had rolled over on his stomach, his chin in his hands.

Meli took a quiet breath. "It attacked us in the lair," she said. Leo felt her shaking, and hugged her closer to him. She winced, and his gaze narrowed.

"It hurt you," he said. His voice was still quiet, but much more intense now. He glanced at Raph, and he gave a short nod.

"My right shoulder...it pulled on my right arm really hard, and something in my shoulder gave out," she admitted. "It dragged me out of the lair." Her voice was low, and Leo heard a touch of lingering terror in it.

He looked over at Raph. "What were you and Splinter doing?" he asked. He tried not to sound accusatory, but knew by the immediate angry look on Raph's face that he'd failed.

"Trying to protect her, what do ya think?" Raph said. "The force picked Splinter up and threw him like a rag doll." When the others let out horrified exclamations, he quickly added, "He's fine." He locked eyes with Leo, who had the feeling he really wasn't going to like what his brother said next. "It destroyed the TV and picked me up and dropped me on top of it."

"Not the TV!" Mikey sat up. His eyes were wide. "What did the TV ever do to it?"

"I'm fine, too, thanks for your concern," Raph growled. He stretched out his leg and kicked Mikey in the shell. "Anyway, yeah, the force dragged Meli out into the tunnel. I ran after her and freed her, and then we ran down the tunnel and got up into the pipes." He paused, watching Leo. Leo closed his eyes, trying to relax. Meli was safe, and Raph and Splinter were okay. He had to focus on that, and not on the fact that the force had hurt his girlfriend.

"There was a flood," Meli whispered. She turned her head and looked at Raph. "The force tried to destroy us. I-I swallowed a lot of water, and..." She broke off, unable to continue. Leo's heart dropped as he got an inkling of what had happened. He looked at Raph; his younger brother was staring at Meli with a combined look of deep concern and worry.

"Raph?" Leo saw his brother jolt and look at him. "What happened?" _I'm not really sure I want to know, but whatever it is, it shook Meli badly, and Raph, too._ His girlfriend was nearly curled in on herself now, and he ran his hand over her hair, hoping to make her feel safe.

"She swallowed a lot of water, and wasn't breathing when I pulled her to the surface." Raph held his hands out, palms up. "I wasn't sure what to do, but remembered seeing people giving mouth-to-mouth in the movies. So, you know..." He stopped and shrugged. "And it worked. The force left us alone after that, and then you called, and Meli's uncle called, and we went after you guys. End of story." His tone was almost contrite, something that didn't normally fit with his personality. April reached out and took his hand, giving it a squeeze, and Donnie patted him on the shoulder. Mikey, for once, had nothing to say.

Leo inhaled and exhaled, concentrating on his breathing for several seconds. The fact that his girlfriend had nearly drowned, had even quit breathing, petrified him. _I shouldn't have left her. I should've stayed and kept her safe. _But that wasn't fair to his brother or his father, either. _I know they did everything they could to protect her. _And Raph had risked his life to keep her safe in the flood. He looked down at the top of Meli's head, and his heart swelled with gratitude to Raph. _I owe him huge for this one. _He wasn't sure what to say; he knew how the water frightened Meli, how terrified she must've been. _And then she had to face Saito and Rafe alone. I have to be the worst boyfriend ever._

"I'm okay," she said, and maneuvered so she could see his face. Her eyes were searching, and then they widened. "Leo, really, I'm fine. Raph and Splinter did everything they could. Raph saved my life." Her gaze shot to Raph for a second before centering on him again. "We're together now. That's all that matters."

As if it was that simple. Leo sighed and touched his forehead to hers. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for," she said. She hugged him tight, and the feel of her against him, all of her warmth and softness, made him even more determined to keep her safe from Saito and Rafe. He wrapped his arms around her, being mindful of her injured shoulder, and pressed his face into the hollow between her neck and shoulder. _If only we could stay like this..._but he knew they couldn't. They still had enemies looking for them, enemies that wouldn't hesitate to kill them. _I won't let Meli and April get hurt. _His brothers wouldn't, either. He eased himself away from Meli, and collected himself. They had to keep moving.

"We'd better go now, before they find us," he said. He got up and helped Meli to her feet. The others got up, too, and they started walking down the tunnel. It was quiet, and Leo hoped it continued to stay that way.

"Leo, can Raph or Donnie take point for a while?" Meli asked him. "There's something I want to tell you." He glanced down at her.

"You can't tell me while we're leading?" he asked.

"No."

Her adamant answer surprised him, and he glanced back over his left shoulder. "Raph, take point." Raph jogged up to them and walked on Meli's right side, nudging her.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice low.

"I'm okay," she said, nodding. "But I need to talk to Leo for a minute." Raph gestured for them to go ahead, and they stopped and let the others go on by. Meli held Leo back until Mikey was a good ten feet in front and then let him follow. She was quiet for the first few moments.

"Am I in trouble?" Leo asked. He tried to keep his tone light, but failed miserably.

"No." Meli hugged his right arm with both of hers. "You do know how wonderful I think you are, right?"

He blushed, and was glad she probably couldn't see it. "I'm not so sure about that. I'd say I messed up the whole boyfriend thing pretty badly today."

"Why would you think that?"

He coughed. "Well, lets see. You got hurt by the force because I wasn't there, you almost drowned and I wasn't there to save you, and tonight you had to face Saito and Rafe alone because I was stupid enough to get Donnie, Mikey, and myself captured. Oh, and I let April get kidnapped. Yeah, I'd say that sums it up." His voice got harder as he spoke, and he pulled his arm from her grasp. He took a few more steps before realizing she wasn't walking next to him anymore. He stopped and pivoted to face her, and his eyes widened at the fury on her face. "Meli?" His tone was cautious. "We should keep going."

"No. I'm not going anywhere else with you until you hear what I have to say." Her eyes snapped with anger, and he had to stop himself from taking a step backward. "How many times have you saved me now? Four?"

"I told you I wasn't keeping a tally," he said, and flinched when she jabbed a finger at him.

"_Four_ _times_, Leonardo. In about as many days, no less. So how is it you think you're a bad boyfriend?" She stared at him with fire in her eyes.

He found himself wanting to squirm under her direct and hot gaze. "Meli, you almost _died_ today. I should've been there. I told you, after you woke up from your nightmare, that I wouldn't let anything like that happen to you. And guess what? It _did_. And where was I? Tied up in an underground lair." He took a step closer to her, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "So forgive me if I don't see myself as your ideal boyfriend."

"You're not perfect." She said it so honestly, so bluntly, that he stopped and stared at her. "You're not perfect," she repeated. "And you know what? That's absolutely _fine_ with me. I wouldn't want you to be perfect. You know why? If you'd been there today, and saved me from drowning instead of Raph saving me, I wouldn't have realized how much I wanted, _needed_ an older brother. How much I needed you and your family. Donnie and Mikey, Splinter, and April. Raph. And you." She stopped, and he heard a soft sob choke up from her throat. "You aren't always going to be there, Leo, when I need you. I won't always be there when you need me. It's impossible. But we don't always _have_ to be there. We have a family. We have three brothers, a sister, and a father who would do anything for us. Raphael proved that today. He kept me safe from that force. And you kept Donnie, April, and Mikey safe when you were captured." She looked up at him, and his breath froze in his chest at the unadultered emotions in her eyes. "I love you, Leonardo. You don't have to be perfect for that."

He had no words. All he could do was stare at her, his heart threatening to burst from his chest. He took a step closer to her. "Meli, I..." Still nothing. She was doing her best not to cry, not to give in to all the emotions he knew were swirling around inside her. _Tell her you love her._ Reaching out his large hand, he tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. Her cheek was scratched where Saito's claws had raked her, and he saw the pure exhaustion radiating in every line of her face, and shining in her eyes. "I-"

"Leo! Run!" Raph's yell had him automatically grabbing Meli's hand and pulling her along with him as they ran back the way they'd just come. Raph pulled even with them. "I don't know how, but they flanked us! They're comin' from in front!"

"More running, less talking!" Donnie shouted. Leo glanced back; Donnie and Mikey had April square between them, both holding her hands as they sprinted. Behind them they could hear the roars and hisses of Saito's new lizard army. Leo cursed his decision to take this tunnel; he'd done nothing but lead them into an ambush. He pushed himself harder. Faster. They ran up the steep incline, and Leo wasn't sure Meli or April could take much more of the pace. He wasn't even sure he and his brothers could do it. But their only other option was to stop, and let Saito get his hands on them.

They hit the main tunnel and Leo led them to the right, hoping that they weren't running into a trap. He wasn't sure how many lizard men Saito had with him, and didn't want to find out. Another tunnel opened to the left; Leo bypassed it, thinking that Saito might believe they'd gone into it, trying to hide. _Not this time. We're just going to run. _No one questioned him. He threw a glance at Meli; she was breathing hard, too hard for his liking, and he reached out his right arm and snagged her up against him, holding her as tightly as he could. His left side hurt, and he figured his stitches were in rough shape, but there wasn't any time to worry about that. Donnie would put him back together again after this was all over. Meli put her arms around his neck and hung on.

They finally hit a section of tunnel that branched off into three different directions, and he had no choice but to choose one. He chose the one to the left and raced down it, running on sheer will power now. Raph was still beside him, and Leo could hear his brother's labored breathing. They were all in top physical shape; their ninjutsu training required it, but this was pushing to a new extreme, even for them. The tunnel floor was growing rocky, and Leo had to slow down or risk tripping and falling.

"They're still coming!" Donnie hollered behind them, and Leo gritted his teeth. He wasn't going to let his family fall into Saito's hands. Not now, not ever_._ "Leo, I know this tunnel." Donnie caught up and ran just behind him. "It'll branch off in about thirty feet, to the left and right. We go left. Our pool is down that way."

_Our pool. _He and Raph exchanged a look. "Okay, Donnie," Leo said. He put everything into this last burst of speed. They cut into the tunnel leading to the left; it was a smaller tunnel, with not much room for running side-by-side. Raph dropped back behind him. The floor was still rocky, but Leo didn't slow down. Not this time. It opened up and there it was: their old swimming pool, now containing a deadly secret. Leo stopped, heaving for breath. He let Meli slide to the ground; she stood near him, staring at the water.

"What's the plan?" Raph asked. He, too, was staring into the pool.

Leo wasn't sure what to do. Destroying the scroll seemed the only way to get Saito to leave them alone; without it, he'd have no use for Meli, and she would be safe. _But how? What about the curse? Or force, if that's what it was? _Could it still hurt them, or had it expended all of its energy trying to kill Meli and Raph earlier?

"Um..." Mikey's tired but panicked voice broke into his thoughts. "That doesn't look good!"

The water in the pool was swirling, and a low moaning sound was slowly building up from the center of it. Meli gasped and flung herself at Leo; he immediately drew one of his katana while holding her close. "Don't worry," he said, knowing that she was. He was, too.

"Not this again." Raph snorted in disgust. "Hey, we already beat you once!" he said, shaking a fist at the water. The moaning got loud, and the water lapped over the edges of the pool.

"Nice, Raph. Go ahead and make it angry!" Donnie said. April was close to him, and Mikey stood protectively in front of her, one hand on his nunchuks.

"I'll make it dead!" Raph snarled, pulling both sai and holding them out toward the pool. A figure began to rise out of the middle of the pool, and long tendrils of mist drifted out from its center toward them. Meli buried her head against Leo's plastron; that simple action spoke of her complete terror, and his temper boiled over its breaking point. He wasn't sure how to do it, but he was going to make the curse sorry it had ever reared its supernatural head.

"Thought you could outrun us, huh? How'd that work out for you?"

Meli jerked her head back and stared at the large lizard blocking the part of the tunnel they'd just come from. "Uncle Rafe. You have to stop this," she said, her voice shaking. "Please."

He laughed and moved toward her, his giant tail swishing the ground behind him. Donnie and Mikey turned toward him, putting April behind them. "Stay back," Donnie warned, his bo staff in his very capable hands.

"Lovely April. You're going to sell for a lot of money on the slave market," Rafe said. He grinned, showing off his gleaming sharp teeth.

"Not a chance," Donnie snarled. He twirled the bo and spun it out, cracking Rafe across his massive head. "Stay back," he added.

"You aren't going to win, Leonardo. You have to know that by now." Saito walked up beside Rafe, who was still cradling his head. "Just give me Meli and the scroll, and we won't bother you again. It's that simple."

"You're mad," Leo said. He put Meli behind him and drew his other katana; beside him, Raph was in a defensive pose, ready to protect his sister. "You'll never have her. _Ever_."

"The scroll either, you big jerk," Mikey added. He was standing side-by-side with Donnie; together they formed a defensive barrier between the two giant lizards and April.

' Saito laughed. "This is a no-win situation for all of you. You're trapped, Leonardo." His eyes narrowed and he took a step forward. "Now, _hand her over._"

"No." Leo shook his head. "You don't have the scroll, anyway. What good is she going to do you?"

"She's bound to the scroll. It will call to her, and she'll have no choice but to obey it. When that happens, I'll simply follow her." Saito smiled, showing off his ferocious teeth.

Behind him, a group of lizard men showed up, and Leo's blood iced down a little. This wasn't looking good. He had no doubt he and his brothers could take down Saito's men in a normal fight, but this wasn't going to be normal. They were all exhausted, running strictly on adrenaline and the will to protect, and Saito's goons didn't even look winded.

Meli touched his shoulder. "Leo? The pool," she said. He looked over and horror washed over him. The figure in the center of it had to be at least ten feet high, and was reaching out toward them with long arms of mist. One of them grazed his face and he jerked backward, bumping into Meli. She gasped and grabbed at his shell to steady herself.

"Sorry," he said. _Great. Not only do we have Saito and Rafe and their idiots, but now the curse wants in on the action, too? _

"Looks like the scroll is reaching out to you, Meli," Saito called out. "You should go to it."

"No," she whispered. Raph moved in close to her, and Leo blocked her from the pool. The tendrils snaked out and reached over top of him, and wrapped themselves around Meli. She tried to yank away while Raph snarled unbecoming things beneath his breath and cut the tendrils with his sai.

"You can't beat your destiny, Meli," Rafe said. "It's going to win."

"Hey!" April cried out and Leo saw the mist arms wrapping themselves around her, as well. Mikey and Donnie were cutting and slashing at the mist, but their weapons didn't seem to have much affect on it. It began to draw her toward the pool, but the boys took hold of her and pulled her free, then rushed over to the other three.

"Leo!" Meli clutched at him as the mist surrounded her and picked her up. Raph grabbed onto her right leg and held tight. Leo reached up and caught hold of her around the waist, pulling her back down to him.

"It's useless, Leonardo. If you won't free the scroll, then the curse will kill her," Saito said. He almost sounded gleeful.

Leo took hold of Meli's chin and looked directly into her eyes. "I won't let that happen," he said. There was a sound of thunder, and the air in the tunnel around them began to get dense and cold. "Trust me, love. I will keep you safe," he said, his voice hard as steel.

Raph put a hand on her shoulder. "So will I."

"We will, too," Donnie added. He had April wrapped in his arms, and Mikey reached out to put one hand on April's arm and one hand on Meli's.

"Nothing's going to hurt either of you," he promised.

Leo knew that this was where it would end. They were done running. For better or worse, he and his family were going to make their stand.


	16. Attack

I don't own the Turtles, or April, or Splinter. If I did, I'd never work again!

So some shout-outs are in order again: BubblyShell22, LoyalMuse, emeraldgal, cook563, Dondena, TMNT fan girl, zrexheartz, Second daughter of Eve, IceColdFever, LoverofLattes, DJfire, ScarletDevil1503, Ana121, and all the "guest" reviewers - you guys are all amazing, and keep me highly motivated! Thank you to Dawnmist11 for following, and to Raph'sgirl4ever for choosing Stronger as a favorite. Really, without the fans, the stories wouldn't be nearly as much fun to write. So thank you, again. I'm so glad someone else besides me is enjoying this :-)

I am planning to write more Meli/Leo stories after this one, including some that involve some sister/sister bonding, and more brother/sister bonding.

STRONGER

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: ATTACK

The four brothers surrounded the two girls, and Meli stared defiantly out at her uncle. Rafe sneered at her, but she found herself not too frightened of him. No, the fright was much more centered around the watery figure that kept trying to reach into the circle of protection the boys were providing her. She and April stood side-by-side, and Meli took courage from the redhead.

"Leonardo, you can't win. There's no sense in prolonging this," Saito said. He moved closer; Donnie drove him back with a well-placed staff blow to the head. Saito growled and rubbed the offended spot.

"You're not laying a hand on her," Leo said. "You might as well get out of here."

Rafe moved forward, taking care to avoid the long reach of Donnie's staff. "Meli, darling, be reasonable. If you come with us, and show us where the scroll is, we'll leave your stupid boyfriend and his family alone."

Meli shivered; she knew very well her uncle was lying. Even if she were to give herself up, Saito wouldn't let the others walk away. "You're lying," she said. "And I'm not helping you."

"You're making a mistake," Saito growled. "You can't win this." He waved some of the other lizard men forward, and they fanned out around the boys. Raph feinted at one of them, making him leap backwards and almost fall in the pool.

"Yeah, your guys are super tough," he said, smirking at Saito.

"Guys?" April caught their attention and pointed. "That water thingy is getting mad." Meli looked over at the pool, and saw the figure in the middle circling as it rose higher. A tornado of water rose beneath it, and Meli's heart kicked hard.

_This is where Leo and Raph buried the scroll. How do we fight both the water and Saito's men? _She planned on helping the boys as much as she could, though she wasn't exactly a ninja. They needed a plan to get out of this; unfortunately, they hadn't had time to talk about formulating one. Leo glanced at her, and she tried to look reassuring, but knew she failed when she saw the worry in his eyes.

"What's with the water?" Rafe asked, and stepped closer to the pool. The figure reached out with a long misty tendril and grabbed him, jerking him into the pool. He yelled and thrashed around, but it did no good: the water dragged him down. Meli cried out and tried to push her way past Mikey, but the youngest turtle took hold of her around the waist and held fast.

"Meli, stop!" he said. "He's not worth it!" She stood still, staring into the pool. Even though her uncle had betrayed her, and turned himself into a giant lizard, he was still her uncle. Still blood. She waited a few seconds, until Mikey relaxed his grip, and then surged forward. Mikey made to grab her and missed, and she ran to the edge of the pool.

"Uncle Rafe!" she yelled. The water was roiling and foaming, and she saw Rafe's head clear the surface for a few moments before going under again. The look of utter panic on his face froze her, and she couldn't move, even when the figure reached out for her this time.

"Meli!" Leo was instantly there, grabbing onto her with his left hand and swinging her away from the pool and into Raph's arms. Raph pulled her back against him while Leo fended off the mist with his katana.

"Let go!" Meli cried, struggling. She knew she was no help to her uncle, but the instinct to do _something_ for him was still taking precedence over her own safety. Raph held tight.

"Stop it," he said. His voice was harsh, and she finally sagged against him, knowing there was no way he'd let go of her. Once the fight had left her, he hugged her, his hold still firm but gentle. "I'm sorry, Meli, but you can't do anything for him," he said. She nodded, defeat in her hazel eyes.

"I know," she said. Leo turned to them and the anger on his face startled her. He put his hands on her shoulders. Raph didn't let go of her.

"That was stupid, Meli," Leo growled. "Stay away from the water!"

She took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. He's my uncle-"

"Not anymore." Leo shook his head. His eyes were blazing. "There's nothing you can do for him now." He raised his eyes to Raph's. "Keep her behind you."

"No problem." Raph moved her around him, and Meli saw Saito strike out at Leo. Leo seemed to sense him and swung around with his katana, driving the huge lizard back.

Saito smiled wide, showing his razor-sharp teeth. "This is where you hid the scroll, isn't it, Leonardo? The curse is using the water to try and take Meli." At his words, the low moaning that had been filling the tunnel turned into a screech, piercing their ears with pain. The watery figure struck out and grabbed another of the lizards, dunking him below into the frothy water.

"You're losing your men, Saito," Leo said. He held his katana out to his sides, ready to strike. "You should give up, get out of here."

"They mean nothing to me. They're nothing but means to an end." Saito stepped to the side and locked eyes with Meli. He pointed at her. "That end."

"Not happening," Donnie said. He held his staff out toward Saito. April stood just off to his side, and her body was tensed, coiled for action.

"I'm tired of this. Attack!" Saito roared and he leapt toward Leo. The other lizards rushed the turtles and the two girls, and Meli was pushed back by Raph, who had drawn both sais and was fending off two lizards at once. April and Donnie fought together, and Meli's eyes widened as she saw her new sister take down one of the lizards on her own. Donnie was equally impressive as he spun and danced around the lizards, his bo cracking heads. Mikey was engaging three lizards, his nunchuks nothing but a steady whirl of chain as he taunted his enemies. Raph had her backed up against the wall of the tunnel, and she side-stepped out of the way when he got slammed backward by a powerful lizard tail.

"You're gonna regret that!" Raph bellowed and pitched forward, driving a sai into the tail. The lizard roared and turned on him, catching him in the chest and throwing him backward. Meli gasped as Raph hit the wall hard and crumpled to the ground. The lizard smiled and reached for her.

_No. No, this isn't happening. I'm not letting you touch me!_ "Get back!" she yelled and kicked out as hard as she could. The lizard blocked the kick and laughed. "Really? Laughing?" Meli's eyes narrowed into thin slits as fury poured straight through her veins. Raph was moaning and rubbing his head; she needed to give him time to recover. The lizard tried to grab her left arm, and something clicked. Something she'd been working on with Raph just a night or so ago. She envisioned the lizard as a punching bag, pulled back her left arm, and hit him with everything she had. "That's for Raphael!"

He stopped and grunted, staring down at where her fist had struck his stomach. Meli slowly raised her eyes to his, and when he smiled, she knew she was in trouble. He lunged and would've caught her by the arm, but a chain wrapped around his arm first and he was violently pulled backward off his feet. Mikey hit him twice, fists like iron smashing into his face. "_Don't touch her_," he snarled. Meli stood shaking a foot away, and when Mikey was satisfied the lizard was down for the count, he got to his feet and turned to her. His eyes, normally sparkling and full of life, were opaque and hollow. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks to you," she said. She hesitated a second, then reached out and touched his forearm. The blankness in his eyes faded, replaced by a glow of comraderie.

"That was an awesome punch," he told her, grinning. She was about to answer when another lizard charged at them. Mikey spun around and planted a nasty kick into his chest, dropping him.

"Nice kick," she said. He swung his head to smile at her and then raced off to join Donnie and April, who were backing down four lizard men toward the pool. Meli saw the misty figure grab two of the lizards, and they disappeared into the pool's depths. She shuddered, recalling her own experience in the water.

"Someone get the number offa that freight train?" Raph asked as he climbed to his feet. Meli hurried to him, taking hold of his forearm to steady him. "You all right?" he asked. He turned her around, checking her for damages.

"I'm okay. Mikey took out the freight train," she said. "I didn't know he could be so scary." She met Raph's worried gaze, and he frowned.

"He is when he has to be," he said. "Stay back here. I don't want you anywhere near the pool."

"Don't worry, I won't make that mistake again," she told him. A shudder blasted through her, and Raph touched her right shoulder.

"Nothing's going to happen. We won't let it," he said. Conviction rang strong in his voice, and she gave him an impulsive hug. He hugged her back, his arm tight and secure. He let go of her a moment later and pointed at the wall. "Right here. Don't move."

"Okay." She pressed her back against the dirt and watched as he charged off to Leo's side, who was battling Saito and not gaining any ground. Saito swung his massive tail at Leo, who vaulted over it, jabbing it with his katana as it missed him. Roaring in pain and rage, the huge lizard swiped at him with his claws, and this time, Leo took the hit. He staggered back, a jolt of pain crossing his face, and Raph rushed past him with a loud cry and outstretched sais. Leo went down on his knees, and Meli saw the watery figure reach for him. Two long misty tendrils wrapped around his waist and lifted him, and he swung his blades, but to no avail.

Raph had told her to stay back, but that was before her boyfriend was in serious danger of being drowned. _I know he said they can hold their breaths a long time, but the force is so strong, and Leo's so tired. _They were all tired. She glanced over and saw Donnie, April, and Mikey fighting it out with five lizards, so they wouldn't be able to stop her. They also couldn't help Leo. And Raph and Saito were trading blows so hard that she didn't understand why they weren't both down for the count. _It's up to me. I have to save him._ She sprinted toward the pool as Leo was being lifted over it.

"Raph! Help!" Leo yelled. He was struggling with all his might; but the force was too much, and it started lowering him into the water. Meli's heart was pounding so hard it physically hurt, and she cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Hey! Let him go! Take me instead!" she called out. Leo turned his face toward her, and she tried to ignore the instant rage in his blue eyes.

"Meli, no! Get away!" he hollered. The watery figure turned toward her, and she gasped, seeing the outline of a man's face in it. It suddenly threw Leo hard, and he landed in the dirt several feet away from her. She started to run to him but the force grabbed her and jerked her toward the water.

"Meli!" Raph jumped and caught hold of her around the waist. He tugged hard; the force simply pulled harder, and ripped her away from him. It lifted her above the pool, and she stared down into the dark depths as strong terror tore through her. "I'm coming!" Raph yelled, and backed up, ready to take a leap.

"No!" Leo was on his feet and racing toward the pool, and she saw Donnie and Mikey running toward it, too. But the force shifted downward, and she took as deep a breath as she could before it slammed her into the water, driving most of her breath from her. She twisted and squirmed, trying to break it's hold, and already knowing it was useless. The force was still pushing her hard to the bottom of the pool, and she made a strangled noise in her throat when she saw her uncle's lifeless body floating in the black water.

Someone grabbed onto her, and she saw Raph struggling to break the force's hold on her. Leo was now on her other side, tugging on her, trying to pull her upward. But it didn't seem to matter how hard they worked; the force was too much, was too strong. She suddenly hit the bottom of the pool, and blackness began edging her vision. _Leo, Raph...help. _Of course, she'd gotten herself into this mess, but knew she'd do it again if it meant her boyfriend would be safe. _Safe...here he is, trying to rescue me..._She shook her head, trying to stay conscious. The boys were doing everything they could, and it wasn't going to be enough. Leo turned to her suddenly; she was on her back, the force pinning her down into the soft sand on the bottom, and he knelt next to her, tipped her head back while holding her nose, and pressed his mouth to hers. Meli gasped as she felt him forcing his own oxygen into her, and he exhaled again, driving more breath into her lungs. He pulled away and stared into her eyes, and she realized with dawning horror that he'd given her everything he had.

_Leo, no...no!_ She reached for him and he bent and pressed a kiss to her forehead before slumping into the sand next to her. She wanted desperately to scream and knew she couldn't, or everything he'd just done for her would be wasted. Raph was still fighting to loosen the force's grip on her, and she saw his face strain with the effort of trying to hold his breath. Donnie and Mikey were swimming down toward them, and Donnie grabbed Leo under the arms and started kicking upward hard. Mikey took hold of her and pulled, and suddenly, she was free. The youngest brother waved Raph away, and he swam for the surface. Meli pushed herself off the bottom of the pool, and Mikey slung her right arm over his shoulders before following Raph upward. Within moments they were all gasping at the surface.

"I've got you, Mel," Mikey said, his breathing fast but controlled. "It's all right. I've got you."

Raph pulled himself out of the pool and crawled to where Donnie and April were kneeling over Leo's still form. "Get back," Raph ordered. They quickly obeyed, and Raph bent his head to Leo's chest, listening for a second. Growling something to himself, he tilted Leo's head back, held his nose, and clearing his airway, pressed his mouth to his older brother's, exhaling. He lifted his head, waited for a second or two, and repeated the process.

Meli couldn't do anything but watch and pray that Raph could bring Leo back. Mikey was still in the water, treading just enough to keep them above the surface. His arm was secure around her, holding her close to his side. April and Donnie sat crouched together; tears ran down April's face and she had Donnie's hand clenched within both of hers. Meli's own breath was frozen deep inside her, and her blood was ice. Nothing else mattered to her except her boyfriend, so still, so lifeless, in the dirt. _Please, Leo, breathe...you have to._

Leo suddenly started choking, and Raph turned him onto his side, whacking his shell. "Breathe, bro," he ordered. "Breathe." Leo's face contorted, and water ran from his mouth, soaking the sand beneath him. He gasped and shuddered, and tried to get up. "Stay down," Raph said. "Meli's okay. She's safe," he added.

"Where is she?" Leo said. His voice was raspy, and Raph moved him so he could see the pool. Meli started to lunge forward through the water, but her right shoulder, too battered to take any more strain, gave out completely, and she almost went under. Only Mikey's quick grab for her other arm kept her afloat, and he pulled her to the edge of the pool. Donnie met them and leaned down, offering her both of his strong hands. She took them and he lifted her out while Mikey climbed out on his own. Meli scrambled to Leo's side and let out a small cry, dropping her head down against his. "Don't cry," Leo whispered and reached around her with his left arm. "Shh, love, don't cry," he said. But that was all she could do right then, and her tears ran wild down her face, trickling onto his own. They stayed this way for several moments, desperately clinging to one another. Everyone else was silent, giving them the time they needed to collect themselves. Meli finally lifted her head and ran a hand over her eyes and cheeks, trying to dry the rest of the tears. Leo edged himself up on his right elbow and watched her, his concern intense. "Are you okay? _Really_ okay?" he asked, his voice soft.

She took a deep shuddering breath and focused on him. "No, I'm not okay," she said. His eyes widened and he started to speak, but she shushed him. "I just watched you _drown_, Leonardo. Do you know what that felt like? Do you?" Her voice rose and he shook his head, reaching out to touch her cheek. "That was the single most scariest thing I've ever seen, and that's saying something, considering what happened tonight." She coughed and touched his hand on her cheek. "It was scary because I couldn't do anything to help you. _Nothing._ And you did it just to save me." Sobs broke into her voice on the last two words, and she covered her face with her hands, breathing fast and deep.

"Meli." Raph moved to her side, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Hey, you need to take a deep breath." When she didn't, couldn't, he squeezed her against him. "C'mon, sis, one big breath. It'll calm you down." She nodded and did as he asked. "Good. Now another one. Slow, that's good," he encouraged. Little by little, she made her way back from the edge of hysteria she'd been standing on, and Raph loosened his grip on her. She bit her lip and looked at Leo. He was watching her so intently, it reminded her of the night they'd met, when he'd watched her while she bustled around her kitchen, trying to take the best care of him she could.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hey." He stretched out his hand, and she took it, reveling in his strength as he gave hers a quick squeeze. "I'm sorry I scared you like that. I didn't know how else to help you," he confessed. His tone was low, hoarse from the water he'd swallowed and coughed back up.

"I know." She swallowed hard and dropped her gaze to their joined hands. "You saved me. I was starting to black out, and then..." She sniffled, trying to hold back more tears. "And then I wasn't." She met his eyes again, seeing in his a wealth of emotion that warmed her very core. "I'm so glad you're okay." It didn't seem like strong enough words, but they were all she had right then.

"Thanks to Raph." Leo's gaze shifted to his younger brother, and Raph shrugged. He dropped his arm from around Meli, but didn't move from her side. "No, seriously, Raphael. I'd given Meli everything I had left." Leo touched his chest.

"Donnie pulled you out of the water," Raph said, nodding toward their younger brother.

Donnie nodded. "But you're the one who brought him back, Raph." He spoke quietly. "You knew exactly what to do for him."

Raph ducked his head down, and Meli knew he was embarrassed by all the attention. She laid her hand on his forearm, and when he looked at her, she smiled. "You're getting to be an old pro at this life guarding thing," she told him.

"Well, _someone_ in this family apparently needs to know how to do it, I guess." He smiled back, and then suddenly scowled and jumped to his feet. "Wait. Where's Saito and his lizard goons?" He looked down at Donnie and Mikey. "You two left April _alone_? Are you crazy?" The quick hostility in his voice had Donnie getting to his feet, scowling.

"What lizard goons?" April said. "The force took most of them, and the couple that it didn't ran with Saito when the force pushed Meli underwater." She rubbed her arms. "He must've figured that his chances for getting the scroll were slim to none. And," she glanced at Leo and Meli, "we knew you guys were in a lot of trouble. You needed both of them."

Raph crossed his arms over his chest, considering. "Yeah, we needed help. But Saito's a chicken for running. Guess he's not mutant enough to stay and finish the fight."

"He hadn't planned on the force killing most of his men," Donnie said. His tone was sober.

A violent tremble ran down Meli's spine, and Leo moved close to her, putting his right arm around her shoulders. She tensed when he bumped her right one, and heard him mumble something in Japanese that sounded suspiciously like swearing. "You need to get that shoulder looked at," he said.

Donnie frowned and came over, kneeling down in front of them. He reached for her shoulder and she winced, but he put his hand on it anyway. "I can't tell much, but I'm guessing you tore some ligaments," he told her. "You should probably see a doctor."

She shook her head. "I want you to fix it." When he met her gaze, his brown eyes questioning, she added, "I trust my brother over some random doctor any day." At that, he grinned wide, and reached out to give her a gentle hug.

"No problem, then. I'll look at it when we get back to the lair," he said.

"Can we go back to the lair now?" Mikey's quiet voice, so unlike his usual exhuberant tone, caused them all to look at him. His blue eyes were downcast, and he seemed to be wilting into the dirt.

"Mike, you okay? Are you hurt?" Raph asked, walking over to squat by him. Mikey shook his head.

"Nah, bro. I'm just, you know." He gestured toward the pool. "It's kinda a lot to take in, that's all." The smallest and youngest of the four brothers, he seemed even more so now. He sat with his knees drawn up to his chin, his arms wrapped around them.

Meli got up and walked over to sit next to him. She hugged his right arm with both of hers, ignoring the pull in her injured shoulder. "I know what you mean," she said. She kept her voice soft. "It is a lot to take in. A lot happened to all of us tonight." She almost choked, thinking of her uncle, his lifeless body drifting in the murky depths of the pool. "But you know what? We're all okay. We're all safe." She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "I wouldn't have made it to the surface without you, Mikey. And I wouldn't have gotten away from that huge lizard guy, either. You were amazing with those nunchuks."

He sighed, and she wasn't sure she'd done anything in the way of cheering him up. "Yeah, I guess I was pretty awesome, huh?" Turning toward her, he grinned and tipped his head to touch hers. "Thanks, Meli."

"You're welcome." She hugged him, again feeling her right shoulder pull. The pain was becoming difficult to ignore, and she had a bad headache. But her brother was feeling better, and that was all that mattered right then.

"So what now?" Donnie asked. He looked at Leo, who had slowly gotten to his feet. "How do we know Saito isn't hiding around the next corner, waiting for us to go home?"

"We don't." Leo looked at each of his family. "So we don't go home yet. I know we're all tired beyond belief, but we can't lead him to the lair."

"So what's the plan then, Captain?" Raph asked. He'd gotten to his feet and was watching his older brother, one hand on his belt.

"We split up. I really don't think we'll run into more trouble tonight; Saito doesn't hardly have any backup left, and he should know by now he's not getting what he wants, anyway." Leo's gaze flickered to Meli. "Meli's hurt. She needs to have Don look at that shoulder as soon as possible." His gaze shifted to April. She was leaning on Donnie, and trying valiantly to look like she wasn't dead on her feet. "April's exhausted, and banged up from fighting." He nodded to Donnie. "You take the girls and head back toward the lair. Take a couple extra tunnels, just to be sure no one's following you."

Donnie put his arm around April. "Okay. I'll check the girls over when we get back."

Leo turned to his other two brothers. "We'll go home a different way, and do some security checks. Mikey, you up for that?"

"Well, I _am_ starving, but I don't want anyone to find the lair," he said. "So yeah, I guess so."

"You're not the only one starving." Raph patted him on the shell. "All right, let's go then." He took Meli's hand and gently tugged her into a quick hug. "Be careful with that shoulder."

"I will." She smiled up at him and turned to give Mikey a hug. Raph tensed, as if waiting for the youngest to forget she was hurt and crush her in a bear hug. But he simply put his hands on her waist and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"Do whatever Donnie tells you to do," he told her. "He's a great doctor."

"Thanks, Mikey," Donnie said. He and April walked over to them, followed by Leo, who took Meli from Mikey and hugged her to himself.

"I'll see you soon," he said, and kissed her gently. It was nothing like how they'd kissed underwater; that had been desperate and rough due to his desire to keep her alive, and hadn't really been a kiss at all. This kiss held a lot of promises and emotions, and she wished it could continue for a while. But they had jobs to do, and he eased away from her. "Be careful, all three of you," he said. He let go of her and moved to hug April, who'd been standing between Raph and Mikey, both of them taking turns hugging her.

"We will," Donnie said. He met Leo's direct gaze. "I'll take care of them."

"I know you will." Leo pointed toward the other end of the tunnel. "Get going. We'll move out in a few minutes."

Donnie nodded and took April's hand. Meli moved to his other side, and they headed out. She glanced over her shoulder at the three left behind, and her heart swelled with love and gratitude for all of them. Donnie reached for her hand, and she was glad to have his support. April clicked on a flashlight; it made it easier to see their way, though all of their eyes had adjusted a long time ago to seeing in the dark. When Meli looked back again, the three brothers were gone, vanished into the shadows of the tunnels. She knew they wouldn't come home anytime soon, not until they were absolutely sure Saito and what remained of his men were gone.

_I can't believe Uncle Rafe is dead.._She hadn't given a whole lot of thought to his death yet, or even to what he'd been willing to do for Saito. There'd been far too much happening for her to concentrate on any one thing, but now, there was time. Donnie kept them going at a nice steady walk, and she knew it would take awhile to get back to the lair. She stared down at the dirt floor as they moved along, and images of her uncle over the course of the night washed over her. The worst ones were of him drowning; the madness in his eyes, the suffering on his face, were brilliantly burned into her mind's eye, and she wouldn't be forgetting them for a very, very long time, if ever. _He wanted vengeance so badly for Mom's death, and he ended up dying the same way she did._ The realization brought a burst of fresh horror bubbling up, and she pulld her hand from Donnie's and covered her face as tears crowded in her eyes. _Don't cry. Just tough it out._

"Meli?" Donnie stopped and put his hand on her shoulder. She hated doing this now, as she was sure he was at a loss as to what to do. Crying was best saved for when you were alone, even though she found herself doing it fairly often enough in front of the others. But even if he wasn't entirely sure what to do, he did know that a pair of strong arms went a long ways in comfort, and she found herself pressed to his plastron, his arms secure around her. "It'll be okay," he murmured. "Trust me."

She nodded and bit her lip, willing her tears back. Now just wasn't the time for this. Donnie let go of her, his eyes full of concern, and April stepped in and put her hands on Meli's shoulders. "I know this is hard," she said. Her voice was quiet, gentle. "But we'll get through it together, okay? I promise." She hugged Meli then, and the feel of her big sister's arms around her gave Meli the strength she needed right then. April knew what it was like to lose a family member; her father had been kidnapped, and though he'd been rescued and reunited with her, she still had the memories of how horrible, how devestating, that loss had been.

"Thank you," Meli whispered, hugging April back. The redhead let go of her and took a step back, and Meli looked up at Donnie. "I needed those hugs," she added, trying to smile.

Donnie nodded and smiled back, and reached out his hands to the two girls. They each took one, and he started leading them down the tunnel. This time, Meli was able to push away the horrors of the night, and just let herself be comforted by the presence of her older siblings.


	17. Relief

So by now you know the schtick: I don't own the boys, Splinter or April. Meli, however, does belong to me.

Thank you for all the reviews and favorites and follows. I know you might get tired of reading the same thing at the top of each chapter, but really, I do appreciate you all. Thank you. To TMNT fangirl, he won't be proposing in this story, but that doesn't mean it won't happen down the road. This chapter is a bit shorter than my others; it seemed a natural cut-off point between what was happening here and what was coming. I have the flu, so I'm not sure when my next update will be. I hope to have it up by next weekend.

STRONGER

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: RELIEF

They'd doubled back on themselves three times, and checked each tunnel in a mile radius of the lair. Leo was sure Saito and his remaining goons were gone. He and his two brothers were headed back to the lair now, and he thought about Meli, hoping Donnie had been able to fix her shoulder up. The fact that she'd gotten hurt so badly made him see red, and he had to consciously choose not to think about it.

"So what do we do about Saito?" Raph asked. He was trudging along, his head lowered. Mikey walked behind them, occasionally muttering to himself.

"We'll have to keep a watch out for him. Hopefully he doesn't bring his lizard army into the city," Leo said. Raph snorted.

"A lot of good that would do him," he said. "He didn't even bother to stick around to finish things tonight."

"No, but that doesn't mean he won't try something later." Leo sighed. "We need to get rid of the scroll, too. It's too close to us where it is." _It's too close to Meli. _He still couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that she'd given herself up to the curse, just to save him. _We ended up saving each other._ He glanced at Raph. "Thank you, Raph, for what you did tonight."

Raph shot a glare at him. "Don't get all mushy on me, man. I did what I had to."

"I'm not getting mushy," Leo said, defensive. "I'm just saying thank you, that's all."

"Fine. You're welcome." Raph rubbed his hands over his face and glanced back at the youngest. "You alive back there, Mike?"

"Yup." Mikey seemed to be upbeat; Leo knew it had a lot to do with Meli talking to him earlier. "So, Raph...you got to kiss Meli _and_ Leo. How'd it feel?" A trace of laughter echoed through his voice, and Leo wished Mikey would've just stayed quiet. Raph spun around and grabbed his brother, throwing him down easily in the dirt. Mikey shrieked and reached for Leo.

"Nope. You got yourself into this one, kid," Leo said and stood back. Raph leaned down close and got into Mikey's face.

"I wasn't _kissin'_ 'em, you idiot! I was helping 'em _breathe_!" Raph growled.

"Well, that's _kind_ of like kissing them!" Mikey said and pushed at Raph's chest. "Ow, get off me!"

Raph smacked him in the forehead and rolled off. He got to his feet and looked at Leo. "I swear, just when I think he's gettin' tolerable..." But there was a smirk on Raph's face, a smirk that only Mikey could've put there, and Leo silently applauded his youngest brother's humor and timing.

"Come on, you two. I want to get back to the lair," Leo said and started jogging down the tunnel they were currrently traversing. The others caught up easily; they'd gotten their third wind, or maybe their fourth. Leo wasn't exactly sure.

"Yeah, he wants to get all mushy with Meli," Mikey said, laughing. "Ooh, Meli, I wuv you so much. You're my little snooky pie!"

Leo shot an irritated look at Mikey. "We do not talk to each other like that."

"Yet," Raph said. Leo glared at him. "I'm just sayin,' that's all." Raph shrugged a big shoulder. "It happens to all couples eventually."

"And you know so much about couples because..." Leo gestured for him to explain.

"Gees, have you spent any time lately around Donnie and April? You'd know what I mean."

Leo frowned. "I've never heard them call each other silly names. You're just making stuff up." He lengthened his stride, hoping Raph and Mikey would fall back. He really did want to see Meli; they'd been apart enough in the last few hours, and he wanted to be there for the inevitable break-down that he knew she would go through. _She watched her uncle mutate into that nasty lizard, and then drown in the pool. _He would've given anything to prevent her from witnessing either event, but the best he could do now was be there to comfort her.

"I think we touched a nerve," Mikey said and pulled even with him. Leo shoved at his shoulder, making Mikey laugh harder.

"Well, he _does_ call her 'love,'" Raph said from his other side. He put his hands to his throat in a choking gesture. "I mean, gag me."

"Will you two shut up?" Leo asked. He threw his arms out behind him and sprinted down the tunnel, leaving behind the echoing laughter of his younger brothers. They were just playing with him, trying to lighten the dark mood that had settled over them all during the fight with Saito, but he wasn't really in the mood for teasing. Not when he didn't know for sure how Meli was. _I'll feel better once I can hold her_. Donnie was as good at patching them up as any doctor would be, so he knew she was in good hands, but he still feared she'd be afraid to let go of her terror and pain at losing her uncle. He needed to be there for her.

He reached the lair and leapt over the turnstile, not bothering to slow down. His left side was aching, but he ignored it as he searched for his girlfriend. The lights were on in Donnie's lab, and he headed there first. April was sitting on the table while Donnie swabbed her cuts and scrapes with antiseptic. April smiled when he came jogging in. "She's okay. Donnie bandaged her up and sent her to bed."

Leo stopped next to the table and put a hand on her arm. "And how are you doing?" He eyed all the marks on her face and arms, and scowled. "You're hurt worse than I'd thought."

"I'm fine, Leo." April rolled her eyes. "Go check on Meli."

He looked at Donnie; he would be the true indicator of how April was doing. Donnie met his gaze, and there was concern in it, tempered with a banking glow of anger. "She's not _fine_, she's _hurt_," he said, his tone sharp. It was a tone he didn't use often with the pretty redhead, but Leo understood. Protecting the two girls was a job all four brothers participated in, but because of their relationships with April and Meli, it really fell heaviest on them.

"Thank you for taking care of Meli," he said, and Donnie nodded.

"She's tough. Her shoulder's going to heal, but it's going to take time," Donnie told him. He looked at April. "Okay, sweetie, lay back."

April saw Leo mouth the word "sweetie" at her and shrugged. "You call Meli 'love,' right? Same difference." She smiled at Donnie and did as he asked. Donnie nudged Leo.

"Don't you have a girlfriend to check in on?" he asked.

"Yes." Leo decided it was high time get out of the lab before they got too cozy with one another. He started across the lair to his bedroom, when Splinter stepped out of the shadows and called to him. Leo changed course and bowed to his father. "Yes, Sensei?"

"You are all okay?" Splinter asked. His dark eyes never left Leo's face, and Leo saw the deep concern in them.

"We're all banged up some, and Meli hurt her shoulder pretty badly, but we're okay," Leo said. "Raph and Mikey are coming." At that moment, they jumped the turnstiles and headed toward the kitchen, still harrassing each other. Splinter allowed a small smile to touch his mouth.

"Very good, my son. Go and check on Meli." He headed toward the kitchen, and Leo ran across the lair to his room. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. Meli was curled up on her side, a blanket pulled over her. For a moment, all he could do was watch her sleep. The steady rise and fall of her chest was enough to make him happy; he hadn't been sure a couple of hours ago that he'd ever get to watch her like this again. He moved closer and knelt next to the bed, not wanting his weight to shift the mattress and wake her. She jerked in her sleep, and a frown settled over her face. Leo reached to just barely brush her cheek with his fingers, and she blinked a couple of times before focusing on him.

"Hi," he whispered, and she smiled at him. "I didn't mean to wake you," he added. "Go back to sleep."

She patted the mattress. "Come up here with me?"

Leo nodded; she didn't need to ask him twice. He came around behind her so he could hold her close to his chest. She snuggled in tight to him, and he found himself able to relax for the first time in quite awhile. Meli kissed his cheek, and he tipped her chin up, seeking her mouth. Warmth spread through him like wildfire, and he kissed her deeper, needing her desperately like he'd needed air not so long ago. She kissed him just as fervently, and he wished that they didn't have to pull apart, that this connection between them didn't need to be severed. But finally he drew back, kissing her nose, her forehead. She watched him with soft eyes, a glow in them that he knew he'd put there. "There's something I need to tell you," he whispered, stroking her hair.

She laced one hand together with his. "Am I in trouble?" she said teasingly.

He grinned. "No, not that I know of." He kissed her again, this time more gently. "Something I should've said back in the tunnels." Meeting her curious gaze, he said, "I love you." Her eyes widened, and she gave a little squeal before throwing her arms tightly around his neck. He laughed, and it felt so good. She felt good, here in his arms, all softness and curves against his tough skin and hard muscles.

"I wanted to hear you say it, but I wasn't sure how you felt," she said a moment later. "And if you didn't feel the same way, I didn't want you to say it just because I did."

He rubbed her back with one hand. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't truly mean it," he told her. "Ninjas don't say or do things they don't mean." And this was the truth: Splinter had drilled into them, at an early age, that a ninja never made promises they couldn't keep, or did or said things that were dishonorable. "You took me by surprise in the tunnel, and then, right before I could say it, Saito's guys had us on the run again." He ran his hand over her hair.

She was quiet for a bit, running one hand over his plastron, her touch gentle. "Will Saito attack us again, you think?"

"I don't know. Most of his men died in the pool, so unless he brings more in..." He left off and shrugged. Meli pulled away from him and sat up, and he was suddenly cold, lost without her warmth and closeness. "Meli? What is it?" he asked, though he suspected he knew what she was thinking about.

"I don't know why Uncle Rafe was working with Saito," she said. Her tone was low, confused. "He wasn't like that. Ever. I mean, he hated Dad because of what happened to Mom, but he wasn't into power trips or things like that. I just don't get it." She rubbed her arms. Leo reached over to turn on the small desk lamp, and reached for her hand.

"Hatred does terrible things to people," he said softly. "Splinter's old enemy, the Shredder, cost him his wife and daughter, and it was because of jealousy and hatred." He thought back to when Splinter had first shared that story with him and his brothers; even now, anger burned in his soul at how unjust it had been, how much pain his beloved Sensei and father had gone through, all alone. "Your uncle probably didn't even realize how far his hatred had pushed him until it was too late."

Meli looked down at the bed, and he wondered if there were tears in her eyes. "I keep thinking that if I'd been able to get him away from Saito for just five minutes, that I could've helped him. Made him see the evil he was part of." A small sniffle confirmed his suspicions, and he lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. They were red-rimmed and watery, and pain flared in his chest.

"I don't think he would've listened," he said. He kept his voice low. "By the time you saw him, he was already bent on helping Saito destroy the world." He didn't want her to feel like she should've done more; she'd done everything she could, giving Raph the time he'd needed to bust the rest of them out. "I didn't thank you for what you did at Saito's hideout," he said. "Without you, Raph never would've been able to get us out. He told me there were eight guards at our door; Rafe called four of them away when he brought you to Saito."

"It was scary," she said, and a tremor raced through her. He frowned and sat up before pulling her into his lap and wrapping both arms tightly around her. She leaned her head back against his chest and rested her hands on his arms. "I knew you would come for me, but I wasn't sure you'd make it in time."

"I'm sorry it took us so long." He rested his chin on her left shoulder. "Raph was plenty mad about the plan. He didn't want you going in there alone."

"No, he didn't." She reached up to rub her eyes. "That wasn't the scariest part of the night, though." She tensed in his arms, and he gave her a gentle squeeze. "Everything that happened at the pool was so awful." Her breath hitched, and he wished he could take away all of her pain. He'd give anything to be able to block the night's events from her mind. "The look on my uncle's face when he was drowning..." A small sob broke the last word, and Leo turned her in his arms so she was facing him. She buried her face into his neck and shoulder, and he held her close, his big hands spanning the entirety of her back.

"Shh, it's okay," he whispered, knowing full well it _wasn't_ okay, and wouldn't be for a long time. But he wasn't sure what else to say to her. "There wasn't anything we could do for him," he added.

She nodded against him. "I know. It was so awful, though," she said, sniffling.

"The scariest part for me was when the force took you," he confessed. He ran his left hand up and down her back. "Raph and I were pulling so hard I thought we'd hurt you, and it just wasn't enough. I wasn't strong enough." The truth in those four words drove pain deep into his heart. Meli lifted her head so she could meet his gaze.

"You saved my life, Leo. Without you breathing for me," she reached out and touched his chest, "I would've drowned. I was blacking out, so close to just swallowing water, and then you were giving me your air..." Tears ran down her face. "When you passed out, I wanted to scream so badly. I wanted Raph to help you, but he was too focused on rescuing me." She sniffled, and wiped at her eyes.

"Donnie and Mikey got there in time," he said. He wiped away the rest of her tears, amazed at how gentle his hands could be, when normally they weren't gentle at all. "And we're both okay now." He touched her cheek, tracing the scratches that Saito had marked her with. _I swear, I will make him pay for hurting you like this. _

She nodded and pressed close to him. She was shivering, and he hugged her tight, wrapping her in all of his strength. "Thank you, for saving me in the pool tonight," she said. She kissed his cheek, her lips so soft against his skin. "I believe that's five times now." There was the tiniest hint of humor laced through her voice.

He smiled. "No tally, remember?" He kissed her forehead. "I love you, Meli. Letting you drown wasn't an option." Risking his life for hers was part of his job as her boyfriend. He'd never quite understood how a man could claim to love a woman, and yet not be protective. Over the years, he'd seen far too many movies and even TV shows where men were abusive, or jerks, toward their wives and girlfriends. That didn't sit well with him, or his brothers. They'd been raised to respect women, to treat them as equals, and to be protective of them.

"I love you, too," she whispered. A yawn slid out of her mouth, and she tried to hide it. "Sorry."

Leo fought down a yawn of his own. "No, it's okay. We're both way past exhausted. We need some sleep." He made to get up, to head to his own bed, but her hand on his forearm stayed him. "Meli?"

"Stay here," she said. "Please? I know I'm going to have nightmares; this way you won't have to get up to comfort me," she added. "And if you sleep here, maybe I won't have them at all." Her eyes, so very hazel, were beseeching, and he couldn't say no.

"Okay. But just sleeping, right?" he asked, a sly smile on his face. Her eyes widened, and she smacked his arm lightly. "I'm just making sure," he told her. "I've never been invited to sleep in a girl's bed before."

"This might be your last time," she told him smartly. He leaned forward and brushed his mouth across hers.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, grinning. She sighed and patted the bed.

"Just sleep, romeo." She laid down, and he moved in behind her, pulling her against his chest and holding her close. She made a small sound of contentment, and he smiled in amazement. The contrasts of the night boggled him: he'd gone from being absolutely terrified of losing her to holding her so close he could feel her heart beating.

_I want every night to end like this one,_ he thought. She'd come to mean the whole world to him in just a few short days, and now, he couldn't imagine his life without her. That's why the decision to give his own life for hers in the pool hadn't really been a decision at all. He'd simply known it was what he needed to do. _And I'd do it again, if I had to._ Listening to her breathing as it steadied and she drifted off to sleep, he closed his eyes and let the exhaustion claim him as well.

He wasn't sure how long he slept; a vicious nightmare woke him and he rolled onto his shell, breathing hard. _Just a dream. _Reaching out, he touched the curve of Meli's hip, and his heart settled down. She was safe, and so was he. _So is the rest of the family._ His throat was dry, and he got up, using his ninja stealth skills to let himself out of the room without waking his girlfriend. There were lights on in the kitchen, and he moved forward cautiously. But upon hearing Raph teasing Donnie about something, he relaxed and walked in.

"Hey." Raph nodded to him. He was sitting at the table, a bottle of soda next to him. Donnie sat across from him with his own bottle, and an open pizza box sat between them. "Help yourself," Raph said. He opened the fridge and pulled out another Coke and slid it down the table to where Leo had sat down. "Couldn't sleep?" There was a measured amount of concern in Raph's voice.

"Nightmare." Leo took a long pull on the Coke bottle. Donnie and Raph were both watching him. "A bad one." He didn't feel he needed to elaborate more than that; from the looks on their faces, they were already guessing what it'd been about. "You guys okay?" He looked from one brother to the other. They were tired; he could see the circles under their eyes, and Donnie looked tense.

"Oh, you know..." Donnie gestured to him. "Same as you."

Leo nodded and looked at Raph. Of his three brothers, Raphael was the most likely to shrug off his concerns, to not share how he was really feeling. But when Raph turned and met his eyes, Leo knew that wasn't the case this time. "I want Saito to pay, Leo." His voice was a deep growl. "He hurt the girls." And in light of the sense of chivalry that Splinter had raised them with, that was inexcusable.

"I know. And don't worry: he'll pay for what he did," Leo told him. He reached for the pizza box, and Donnie slid it closer to him. The pizza was cold; Leo preferred it warmed up, but didn't feel like revving up the microwave. He ate two pieces and didn't really taste either one. "We'll start patrolling tomorrow night until we find a lead on him."

Raph nodded. "And then we're going to give it to him." He rubbed at his eyes. "What are we gonna do about the scroll?"

"I've got an idea on that," Donnie said quietly. "I think we should burn it. Destroy it."

Raph stared at him. "Really? Because that wouldn't agitate the curse."

Donnie frowned. "The curse has already attacked twice. What else can it possibly do to us at this point?" He looked at Leo. "It can't do anything worse than trying to drown everyone."

Leo emptied his Coke bottle and gestured to Raph for another one. "We don't know that for sure, though. And, how do we get to the scroll? We'd have to dive down to the cave. You think the curse will let us do that?" Raph slid him another bottle and he opened it and took a long swallow. Donnie's face had fallen, and Leo added, "I'm not trying to get down on you, Don. I just don't see how we could do it."

"Well, you're the leader. Figure it out," Raph said.

Leo snorted. "Yeah, I'll get on it right away."

"The curse seems to need time to build its energy back up after expending itself," Donnie said. His tone was thoughtful. "So if we went right now, it shouldn't be able to harm us. Much." He looked at Leo. His eyes were full of determination. "We could end it all tonight."

Leo straightened in his chair. _If we could do that, this would pretty much all be over. Saito and his buddies won't be too much of a threat for us, not once we get some rest. _"You two willing to go back now?" he asked. "I can't do it alone." It almost hurt to admit that to them, though of course, they knew he wasn't a superturtle or anything.

"Yeah. Let's go." Raph got up and crossed his arms over his plastron.

"Sure." Donnie got to his feet. "But do we want to get Mikey?"

Leo considered. He knew the whole incident at the pool had bothered their youngest brother. Still, four against an old curse was going to be better odds than three-to-one. "I'll get him. Donnie, grab flashlights and a shovel, and something to set the scroll on fire with." Donnie nodded and headed out of the kitchen.

"You really up for this?" Raph asked. Leo turned to look at him, and the concern in his younger brother's eyes startled him. "I mean, you almost drowned tonight, man. The three of us can do it." Raph's voice was low, serious.

"I'm up for it," Leo assured him. He wanted the scroll and its curse gone, so it wouldn't be a threat to his family anymore. "Come on. We need to get it done before the curse gets its strength back."

"Okay." Raph walked out behind him, and Leo knew that was the end of the conversation. Raph didn't allow his concern to show often, and even though Leo appreciated it, he didn't need it. What he did need was Raph on his A-game. And one look at his brother's determined face confirmed he was ready.

Leo resisted the urge to check on Meli; he didn't want to accidentally wake her, and have her try to go with them. Donnie came from his lab with a bag of gear, and Leo knew he hadn't checked on April either, for the same reasons. "Wait here. I'll get Mikey."

"We don't need him," Raph said. "He's spooked about the pool, and he'll just gripe 'cause you woke him up. Let's just go."

Leo looked at Donnie. "I agree with Raph," Donnie told him. "For probably the first time in my life." He dodged to the side to avoid getting a slap across the back of the head.

"All right. Move out." Leo jumped the turnstile, briefly wondering if there'd ever been a time when he hadn't been able to. Even as little ones, he and his brothers had been extremely agile, and were always leaping and jumping on and over anything that stood still. As they headed back down the tunnel, toward the place where they'd fought one of their most important battles to date, he hoped that the curse would still be inactive. If it wasn't...well, he didn't want to think about that. They'd formulate a different plan if that happened.

_We'll get rid of it once and for all, no matter what we have to do._ Listening to his two brothers teasing each other, he knew that keeping his family safe was the only thing that really mattered to him.


	18. Finished

I don't own the Turtles. Meli is mine, though.

Wow, again, thank you. I've never had a story generate so many reviews, favorites, and follows as quickly as this one has, and that's because of all of you taking time out of your busy lives. To my new reviewers and followers: welcome. I hope you like what you're reading. I plan to do more Meli/Leo stories after this one is finished.

STRONGER

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: FINISHED

As they neared the pool, Leo's heart began to pound in anticipation. They were going to destroy the scroll once and for all, and be done with it. _And Meli and I can move on with getting to know each other better, spending more time together._ Not, of course, that they hadn't been spending time together. It just wasn't in a relaxing manner. Raph had moved to the front of their trio, with Donnie staying at Leo's side, one hand resting on the bag slung over his shoulder. _Maybe we should've brought Mikey with us. _Still, Raph was right: the happenings at the pool earlier had spooked their youngest brother. Leo knew it wasn't because of the water necessarily; they were all amazing swimmers. _Seeing all of those lizard guys drown wasn't easy on him, though. _They were acquainted with death, no matter how much they despised it. There had been a few times, over the course of the past few years, that they'd taken a life in exchange for keeping their own. It was a decision they never took lightly. What had happened at the pool, however, had been a massacre.

"Wait." Raph had stopped and held one hand up in the air. Leo and Donnie listened, but Leo heard nothing. Raph took a few steps forward, then glanced over his shoulder at Leo. "We got company."

Leo moved to his side and strained to hear whatever it was his brother had heard. And there, just faintly, he heard voices. His eyes hardened. "Saito," he whispered. Raph nodded. _How? We checked all the local tunnels. How did he avoid us?_ Donnie moved to stand on Leo's other side.

"What do we do?" he asked.

"We finish this." Leo looked at each brother, and saw his resolve mirrored in their eyes. As one, they moved forward, weapons drawn. They rounded a corner and saw Saito and two of his mutants standing near the pool. The water was calm. _Good call, Donnie. The curse must still be spent._ One of the lizards pointed, and Saito turned to face them, a wicked grin breaking across his long face.

"So you've returned, Leonardo. Come to get the scroll, did you?" Saito said.

"To destroy it," Leo said. He crossed both katana in front of himself. "You can't stop us."

"No?" Saito nodded at his men; they fanned out to either side of the turtles. "You really think I'd let you do something so stupid?"

"We're lookin' at stupid right now," Raph said, a menacing grin on his face. "You're through, Saito. Might as well admit it."

Saito laughed. "You know, even if you do succeed in destroying the scroll, Leonardo, I'm not going away. No, you see, I plan to get my hands on your darling Meli." He took a couple of steps closer to them. "I plan on doing horrible, wicked things to her."

Anger surged through Leo's body, and he had to consciously keep himself from attacking. _Need to keep a clear head. Can't let him get to me. _He took a deep, calming breath. Raph growled and took a step forward, and Leo put a katana out in front of him, stopping his advancement. When Raph swung his head toward him, Leo gave a barely imperceptible shake of his head. "Not yet," he whispered.

"I'm growing tired of this." Saito nodded to his men. "Take out his brothers. Leave Leonardo to me." The two lizards snarled and suddenly attacked, drawing out Raph and Donnie, who leapt forward to meet them head-on. Leo never took his eyes off Saito. The mutant lizard easily had a foot-and-a-half of height on him, and several hundred pounds, but he wasn't as quick. He rushed Saito. Saito growled and reached behind him, drawing a pair of wicked swords with curved blades. Leo raked his katana down the two swords, thrusting them apart so he could land a strike on Saito's chest.

"You aren't going to win," Leo snarled. He whirled and kicked out, driving Saito forward and almost knocking him over. Saito recovered and swung his massive tail, but Leo was ready for it and jumped over it while slashing at its base with his left katana. Saito howled in rage and swung to meet him, and their swords clashed together in a melding of screeching steel.

"I won't let you destroy that scroll!" Saito yelled, and they broke away from each other. Leo saw from the corner of his eye that Raph had his opponent backed up against the wall of the tunnel, while Donnie was trading blows with his. "Did you hear me?" Saito hollered and threw one of his swords at Leo. Leo twisted to the right, avoiding the strike, and narrowed his eyes. He needed to end this now and get the scroll so Donnie could burn it down.

"Yeah, I heard you," Leo muttered. He took a deep breath, centering himself. Saito couldn't be allowed to go after Meli; the thought of him stalking her, trying to kidnap her, was enough to break all of the restraint he kept on his temper. He focused on the giant lizard beckoning to him, and smiled. _You're going down, Saito._ With a loud yell, he charged. Saito met him with a roar, and they traded blows back and forth, neither gaining or losing ground. But Leo refused to give up, refused to allow his enemy to win. This was too important. Meli was too important.

He wasn't sure how long they fought; time seemed to slow down as they whirled and slashed, trying to gain an upper hand. Everything else faded out, including his two brothers. Saito feinted to the left, but Leo wasn't drawn in, and got a sharp jab in, knocking him off-balance. He followed with a vicious kick in the ribs, and Saito went down, hard. Leo pounced and put both katana to his throat. Saito stilled and watched him, his yellow eyes slits in his speckled face. "Go ahead, Leonardo. Finish me," he snarled quietly.

"Leo?" Donnie's voice was tentative, questioning.

"Not now, Donnie." Leo kept his gaze locked on Saito. All it would take was a little more pressure, and he would be rid of Saito forever. It would be easy.

"I'm goin' for the scroll," Raph told him. Leo nodded.

"Go," he said. He heard a splash as Raph dove into the pool, and glanced up to see Donnie watching him with wide eyes.

"The other two are out cold," Donnie said. He knelt down, never looking away from his oldest brother. "You don't have to do this, Leo. He's beaten now."

"I know." _But if I leave him alive, he'll go after Meli again. I can't have that._ He leaned down a little, the smooth blades of the katana sliding into the flesh of Saito's neck. The big lizard swallowed hard, and a flash of panic crossed his eyes. "Scared? You should be."

"So do it then." Saito smirked. "Or are you too honorable, Leonardo? Surely you've killed someone before. In battle, perhaps? You know I won't leave her alone, even if you do destroy the scroll. I'll make her pay for your transgressions."

Leo saw Donnie shift forward, ready to intervene if needed. But that wouldn't be necessary. Saito's words had jolted him; he wasn't going to kill him. Killing someone who was down, with no means left to defend himself, was not the way of the ninja. He eased off the pressure, but kept the katanas in place.

"You're weak, Leonardo." Saito grinned. It was maniacal, evil. "Your love for that pathetic human girl has made you soft."

"No." Leo shook his head, drawing a breath. "She's made me stronger." He glanced at Donnie, who nodded at him, approval in his brown eyes. "And she's _not_ pathetic, Saito. She's amazing."

"So what now, then? You let me live? Let me walk away?" Saito laughed. "To what end? You know I'll be back."

There was a ripple in the pool behind them, and Raph surfaced, carrying both the scroll and the shovel. He threw the shovel up on the shore and heaved himself out before striding over to them. He smirked and held the scroll out to Donnie. "Here ya go, bro. Burn it."

"My pleasure." Donnie got to his feet and drew a lighter from his bag. He looked down at Saito. "You might come after us again, but you can't destroy the world." Flicking the lighter, Donnie held it to the old scroll. The paper caught and began to burn bright blue. Saito snarled and attempted to get up, and Leo pushed his blades harder against his throat. A rush of cold wind gusted through the tunnel, and the air filled with a high-pitched keening. Leo waited, anxious, wondering if anything else would happen. But the wind and the noise were all that the curse had left to give in defense of the scroll. The old paper burned fast, and Donnie made sure it disappeared completely before putting his lighter away. He dusted his hands and smiled. "Done."

Saito roared in anger, and Raph got down on one knee next to him. He glanced at Leo, who nodded, and then hit him, all of his strength behind his fist. Saito's head snapped back and he was quiet. "Finally. Gees. Guy never shuts up." Raph looked at Leo. "So now what? Scroll's gone, but what about these three?"

"We'll tie them up, and see if Leatherhead can do something about them," Leo said. He suspected he could, and would. "We'll tell him to dump them somewhere far from here."

"So this is it, then. It's over," Donnie said. His voice was quiet, steady. "We're all safe."

Leo nodded. "We are." He sheathed his katana. "Got rope?"

"I do." Donnie handed him a long length, and Leo proceeded to tie Saito up tight while Donnie and Raph tied the other two big lizards.

_Finished. Finally. Meli and I can relax. She's safe._ Leo was tired, suddenly, and his body ached from the fighting. He sat beside Saito for a few minutes, just breathing. So much had happened in the last four or five days; he wasn't sure right then how long it had been since he'd rescued Meli in the alley. They all seemed to blend into one another, becoming one extremely long day. _But I wouldn't change it. Well, maybe I could do without the stupid scroll, and Saito showing up, but meeting Meli has changed my life. I can't imagine it without her. _So strange, he thought, that one person could so wholly change him, and so quickly. He'd never really thought about love before; it had always been something he figured he'd live without. _I never realized how wonderful, how powerful, it is. _He couldn't wait to get back to the lair to see Meli, to just watch her sleep.

"You gonna sit there all night?" Raph asked. He was standing next to Donnie, his arms crossed over his chest, a smug look on his face.

"No." Leo got up slowly, his muscles straining in protest. _I need a hot shower._ "Thanks, you guys. I couldn't have done this without you." He spoke in a low voice, sincerity ringing through it.

"There ya go again, gettin' all mushy. Cripes, let's just go." But before Raph turned to head back down the tunnel, he flashed his oldest brother a wink, and Leo snorted softly.

_Yeah, _I'm _getting all mushy. Uh huh. _He fell into step with Donnie, and together the three brothers moved into the shadows, the threats to their family neutralized.

Two hours later, after hot showers and a hushed and direct phone call to Leatherhead, the three brothers sat around the kitchen table again. Leo sipped his tea, just letting his bruised body slouch in the seat. It seemed odd, to be so calm, so relaxed, after everything that had happened to them, but he was grateful for the downturn of events.

"Leatherhead was okay with gettin' rid of those guys?" Raph asked. He was sitting across from Leo, nursing a glass of something that Leo suspected wasn't just Coke. While Splinter didn't condone drinking, he also didn't attempt to stop his sons from imbibing every now and then.

"He was. Actually, I think he was a little mad we didn't invite him to the fight earlier," Leo said, smiling.

"Well, I for one am glad it's all over." Donnie was sitting forward, his forehead resting on the table. "I'm tired."

"So quit whinin' and go to bed," Raph told him, but not without affection.

Donnie picked his head up to glare at him. "April's in my bed."

Raph raised an eye ridge. "Yeah, so? You're together now."

Donnie turned pink and hid his head again. "Shut up."

Raph snorted and looked across the table at Leo. "Wouldn't bother you if Meli was in your bed, right?"

Leo lifted his tea cup and eyed Raph over its rim. "What makes you think she hasn't been already?" His cocky words and smug voice had the desired effects: Raph choked on whatever he'd just swallowed, and Donnie lifted his head and gasped, his mouth hanging open. Leo smiled and drank, while listening to Raph coughing. He set the cup down and reached for the bag of chips they'd slowly been demolishing.

"N-No way," Raph sputtered. He stared at Leo. There was a glimpse of something scary in Raph's green eyes. Leo knew he had to be a little cautious in teasing his brother; since Raph and Meli had bonded so tightly over her near-drowning, he was particularly protective of her now.

"You don't think so? Well, maybe not in _my_ bed, per se," Leo said. He threw back another handful of chips. "But her bed is in my room, too."

"I don't believe it, either," Donnie said. But the speculation in his voice told the real truth, and Leo smiled slyly at him. Donnie frowned and looked at Raph. "Well, they were sleeping in the same room before we left. It would make sense, seeing as how close they've gotten. That is a natural step in human relationships."

Raph muttered below his breath and drank the rest of the dark liquid in his cup. He eyed Leo. "Yeah, well, we don't need to hear about it." His voice was dark with simmering uneasiness.

Leo finally laughed, and said, "No, we haven't done anything like that yet. You know I wouldn't do that until I was married." And that was true: as far as he was concerned, the most noble, and thus ninja-like way, to be with a woman was to get married first, the way Splinter had told them. "No faith in your leader, huh?"

"Married?" Raph looked at him like he was crazy.

"Well, yeah. I mean, not now. But someday," Leo told him. To have Meli as his, really his, forever, would make him the happiest guy in the world. He looked at Donnie. "Don't you think about that, too? With April?"

Donnie grabbed the chip bag and shook some into his hand. "I've thought about it on and off, yeah. But it would be somewhat difficult, don't you think? We can't leave the tunnels, Leo. They'd have to live down here. Do you think they'd be happy?"

"If they were with us? Yes, I think so." _I would make Meli happy. That would be my whole goal. She'd never want for anything, ever. _

Raph got up and poured some more Coke into his glass. "You two are nuts. Why would you want to get married, anyway? When the girls can just come hang out anytime? You'd get tired of them if they were here all the time." He turned and sat down, and found them both watching him. "No? Really?"

"I'd love to have April here all the time," Donnie said, his voice soft. "To know she was safe, to work on inventions together, to watch the Science Channel-"

"Boring." Raph cut him off and scowled. "Well, I'd get sick of seeing them all the time."

"Oh yeah? This from the guy who barely lets anyone else have the girls' attention? Who risked his life for Meli, and has risked his life several times for April?" Leo frowned. "I'm not buying it, Raphael." He held his fist out and Donnie bumped his against it. "You're a softy when it comes to the girls, bro. Just admit it."

Raph tossed back the entire glass of Coke and slammed it down on the table. He wiped his mouth and curled his lips back in a grimace. "Alright, alright. But don't tell them that," he said finally with a sigh. "And I won't admit it ever again, either."

"You don't have to." Meli stepped into the kitchen with a big smile on her face, followed by April.

"Aw, Raph, you big sweetie," April cooed. She grinned and walked over to plant a kiss on the top of his head. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. "Yeah, that's okay. We know you love us," April added. She went around to the end of the table to sit next to Donnie, who hugged her.

Meli sat down next to Leo, and he wrapped his arm around her, hugging her tightly to his side. "You should be sleeping," he quietly admonished.

"I woke up, and you weren't there," she said, shrugging. "And then I saw April, and we decided to look for you guys."

"Still nothing to say, Raph?" April asked, a sly smile on her face. "You should be careful when admitting things. You never know who's listening in."

He kicked back in his chair and scowled at her. "Very un-ninja like to eavesdrop, April," he told her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, _now_ it's un-ninja like? Not before, when you were eavesdropping on Donnie and I when you got back tonight? Or standing outside Leo's room, listening in on them?"

Raph blanched as Donnie and Leo narrowed their eyes at him. "I wanted to make sure you girls were okay!"

"And that's why we love you, Raph," Meli told him, smiling. "Because you care so much."

"Aw..." Raph sprawled in his chair and closed his eyes, his face red.

Leo rubbed Meli's back. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up. Donnie suggested it would be a good time to burn the scroll, since the curse had used a lot of its energy," he said, his voice soft. She turned wide eyes to him, and he nodded. "It's done. Gone."

"And so are Saito and those last goons of his," Donnie added. "They were at the pool, but we took care of them, too. Beat them and tied them up. Leatherhead's going to get rid of them for us."

"Leatherhead?" Meli looked at Leo.

"He's a friend. A mutated crocodile," he said. "Nice guy, but not big on visitors." He held the bag of chips out to her, but she shook her head.

"So...it's really done. Everything," she murmured. She stared at the table, and Leo frowned, not sure how to respond to her quiet demeanor. He hadn't expected high excitement; it was five-thirty AM, but something more than that.

"What's wrong?" he asked. The others were silent; he caught Raph watching her closely, and wished for a moment that he was alone with her. That would come later, though.

"Nothing. I'm just, stunned, I guess. I mean, it's been so crazy. So scary. And now, it's finished." She turned her head to look at him, and he smiled at the light shining in her pretty eyes. "You guys did it."

"We did," Leo agreed. Meli laughed suddenly, her whole face lightening, and he laughed along with her. Soon, the other three were laughing, too, and Leo wondered that Splinter and Mikey hadn't heard them and come to join them. Meli threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, and he wrapped her in his, bringing her in close to his plastron. Now, it truly felt like things were over.

"Hey, what's going on?"

They turned to the entrance of the kitchen. Mikey stood there, a bewildered expression on his face. He was clutching his old teddy bear, and Leo recognized the lingering darkness of fear in his baby brother's blue eyes. He'd had a nightmare.

"Mikey, come here," he said. "Donnie, Raph, and I took care of the scroll and Saito. Donnie burned the scroll, and Leatherhead is going to dump Saito and his two goons somewhere."

"Oh." Mikey traipsed into the kitchen and plopped down next to Meli, who reached an arm around his shoulders.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

He sighed. "Well, yeah, I guess. I had a nightmare." He spoke quietly, without any of his usual enthusiasm. "It was about the pool."

"The pool can't hurt anyone now," Raph said. "No more curse."

"Yeah." Mikey laid his head on the table. Leo gestured to the refrigerator, and Raph got up and got their youngest a Coke. Sugar would likely help Mikey bounce back. "Thanks, bro." Mikey unscrewed the top and took a long swallow. "Hey, how come you guys didn't wake me up?" he asked, and looked at Leo.

Leo leaned toward him. "We knew you were exhausted, Mikey. And it wasn't a big deal, not like the fight earlier." He found no need to mention the fact that all the drownings had scared Mikey, and that was the real reason they hadn't taken him along. It hadn't been pleasant being in the pool with dead bodies floating all over.

"Oh." Mikey nodded to himself. "That's cool. So, it's all over, right? No more curse, or scroll?"

"All over," Leo told him.

Splinter stepped into the room then, and his sons all bowed their heads for a moment in respect. The ninja master took a seat at the head of the table, and April got him a cup of tea, which Raph passed to him. "Thank you," Splinter said. He took a long sip, set the cup down, and looked directly at each of his sons and two surrogate daughters before saying, "The scroll has been destroyed?"

"Hai, Sensei," Leo said, nodding. "Raph dug it up and Donnie burned it."

"I see. Anything else happen?"

"Saito and two of his men were there," Donnie said. "But we beat them, and tied them up. Leatherhead is going to dump them somewhere."

Splinter stroked the long chin whiskers he was so fond of. "We will have to be careful, then. Saito is not the type of man to give up." He turned his dark eyes on Meli. "Though he can no longer destroy the world, he may well seek vengeance on you, Meli. We must keep our guard up."

"He won't hurt her," Leo said. His voice was hard. He glanced at Raph, who was nodding, a dark expression on his face. "We'll make sure of that."

Splinter nodded, and let a small smile touch his mouth. "For now, though, I suggest we concentrate on this victory. There will be no training today - you may take the day to enjoy yourselves." His smile grew larger when all four boys and April let out shouts of happiness, and Meli laughed as Mikey jumped from his seat and broke into an impromptu break dance routine behind her.

Leo caught Splinter's eye as the big rat got up to leave the kitchen. Splinter winked subtly and Leo laughed outloud, all at once happy beyond belief to be alive and surrounded by his family. He reached out, turned Meli's face gently to him, and leaned in to kiss her. When he pulled back, he whispered, "Come on." The need to have her all to himself, with no thoughts of danger distracting him, was too strong to ignore. She smiled and got up to follow him out of the room. They went to his bedroom, and he shut the door while she sat on his bed. He turned to her, and the sight of her sitting on his bed, her dark hair curling gently around her sweet face, brought heat rushing not only to his face, but to other places as well. He took a deep, cleansing breath.

"I can't believe it's all over," she said. She patted the spot next to her on the bed, and he walked over and sat down. "Thank you, Leo, for everything you've done for me." Her voice was low, soft. "I wouldn't have survived this week without you."

He touched her face, his big hand caressing. "You're welcome. I'd do it all over again, if I had to." _I'd do anything for you. All you have to do is ask. _

She looked down and took his other hand, holding it in both of hers. "Um, April and I were outside the kitchen for a little while. We heard you guys talking about...things." She looked up and met his steady gaze. When she didn't add anything else, and gave him a questioning look, he suddenly realized what they'd heard, and heat brought a fierce blush to his cheeks.

"Oh, uh, yeah," he said, stumbling over his words. He wasn't sure he could form a coherent thought right then.

"We really didn't mean to eavesdrop. We just weren't sure when a good walking-in point would be," she confessed. Her face was warming to a slight shade of rose, and he realized she was just as embarrassed as he was. That put him a little more at ease. "So, you've thought about us getting married?"

"I have, a little," he said. He traced his free hand down her left arm, smiling as he felt her shiver. "I know I'm not ready for that yet. I mean, we just met four days ago, right? Five?"

"Something like that. They've all kind of run together," she said, nodding. "And we're pretty young, too."

"Exactly. There's a lot of things to think about," he said. But as he locked his gaze with hers, and saw the depth of her feelings for him, he knew that didn't matter. It didn't matter that they hadn't known each other very long. All that really mattered was how they felt. "But, someday, Meli, I'd like to get married. To you," he clarified.

She grinned. "I'd like to get married to you, too, Leo. Someday." She leaned forward and brushed her mouth against his, and his heart hammered in his chest. He brought both hands up and cradled her face in them, holding her mouth to his. Meli sighed in contentment, and Leo slowly eased back onto his shell, bringing her down on top of him. He ran one hand over her hair, and rubbed her back with the other. She had one hand on his plastron, and ran the other lightly over his face, his neck, his shoulders. A small growl slipped from his mouth, and she shivered against him, pressing her mouth harder to his. All sense of time drained away as they got lost in each other. Leo was still careful not to hurt her; he knew, with his strength and size, he could easily do so if he lost too much control.

When Meli finally drew back, breathing hard, he simply held her close, cuddling her. This was what he'd been craving all week, this time alone to just be together. They were quiet, no words being needed. Everything they'd wanted to say had been said. _She's going to marry me someday. _The thought made him grin so wide he was surprised his face didn't crack. Being married would present new challenges, such as where they would live, but he wasn't going to worry about any of that now. For now, he wanted to be happy with the promise of a life together.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

He eased his mouth to hers again, and time fell away as they lost all track of it.


	19. Forward

I own no turtles, no April, and no huge but cuddly-looking rat ninja master.

So, this is it: the last chapter of Stronger. I know I may have confused some of you with the title of Chapter Eighteen ("Finished"), and I apologize for that. I still had something I wanted to do with this story before moving onto a new one. And yes, good news to those who have hung in there with this one: there will be more stories. More of Meli and Leo, and some of just Meli getting to know her new family. So, onward we go.

STRONGER

CHAPTER NINETEEN: FORWARD

Meli finished dusting the largest of the bookcases and turned to give the front room of the Trove a look. _Not bad_, she mused. In the last week, she'd been able to repair most the damage done by the drive-by. The insurance company had hired someone to replace the big glass-plate window, and Leo and his brothers had been coming over at night to help in any way she needed. A giggle escaped her as she thought back to the previous night, when Raph and Mikey had been trying to help her with some of the more delicate treasures the Trove had to offer. Their bickering had finally escalated to the point that Leo had sent them both home to the lair, and only he and Donnie had stayed to help rearrange things.

The front door opened, and she whirled toward it, her heart immediately kicking into high gear. An older man stood there with an umbrella. "Hello. I was told I could find antique books here?" he asked. His voice was cool, but not unpleasant.

Meli smiled and walked over to him. "You've come to the right place," she said. "What are you interested in?" She kept some distance between her and the stranger; after the week she'd had, she wasn't about to get too comfortable with someone she didn't know. Not anymore.

He nodded toward the bookcases in the back. "Old atlases, actually. Maps. Scrolls with maps on them. That sort of thing."

At the word _scroll_ she involuntarily gasped, but he didn't seem to hear her. He was moving toward the back of the store now, and she followed, trying to calm down. "I have some maps and atlases, yes, and one or two scrolls, but I don't think those have maps on them," she said. The man stopped in front of the bookcase she'd just finished dusting and reached for a heavy book that she knew contained maps of the old world countries.

"This is exactly what I wanted." He turned to her, and she smiled, pleased to have had what he was looking for. "How much?"

"That particular one is $150," she told him, and waited for the flinch that usually followed hearing such a steep price. But he merely pulled out his wallet and nodded.

"Sounds about right for a treasure like this." His tone had warmed considerably, and he followed her to the cash register. She rang it up and he paid for it, running one hand over the worn leather cover. "These are getting pretty hard to come by," he told her.

"They are," she agreed and handed him back his change. He stuffed it into his coat pocket.

"Would you like a bag for it?" she asked, but he quickly shook his head.

"No. I want to carry it, feel the leather," he said. He turned to go, walked to the door, then added over his shoulder, "Your father says to tell you hello."

Meli eyes widened and she hurried from behind the counter toward him, but he stepped outside and the door swung shut behind him. Running to the door, she jerked it open and stepped outside. The man was gone. _Dad? Who was that guy, a friend of yours? Where are you? Why haven't you called me again?_ Shoulders slumped, she stepped back inside and closed the door. It was getting late; she normally closed by six pm, but the clock was slowly crawling towards six-thirty. With a sigh, she turned the lock on the door and flipped the sign from _open_ to _closed_, and triggered the new security system Donnie had wired in for her.

It would be an hour or so until the boys came, and she didn't want to stay here alone, not after having an opportunity to talk to someone her father knew cruelly yanked away. _But Leo doesn't want me out roaming around after dark by myself, so what can I do? _She could, of course, just go anyway. But that would breach the implicit trust she shared with the blue-wearing turtle, and she refused to do that. So she shut the lights off in the store, made some tea, and sat down to help Master Chief blow up some seriously messed-up aliens.

An hour later, right on cue, Leo and his three brothers beeped in. Donnie had made sure they all had the proper code to enter the apartment without setting off the shrill alarms, though he'd also threatened to change it after Raph and Mikey's behavior the night before. Meli set the Xbox controller aside, and wiped at her cheeks, cursing her inability to just _let it go_. If her father didn't want to talk to her, then that was the way it would be. Her phone he'd called her on had been lost in her struggle in the pool, and Donnie had set her up with one of his custom-built T-phones, which was way cooler than anything Verizon or Samsung had.

"Hi," Leo greeted her as she turned to him. But upon seeing the traces of tears on her cheeks, he instantly moved to her and drew her tightly against him. "What's wrong?" he asked, and there was a slight growl to his voice.

She pulled back and took a breath. "I had a customer tonight that bought an old atlas, and right as he was leaving, he told me my dad said to say hello to me." Her voice wavered. "I tried to catch him, but he was gone by the time I got to the door." She wiped at her eyes and swallowed hard. "I don't know why he won't contact me again. I thought he would want to know how things turned out with my uncle and the scroll, but I guess...I guess not." At that a tear spilled from her eye and raced down her cheek. Leo put his hand to her face and deftly caught it on one finger.

"I'm sorry, love," he said, his tone gentle. He eased her back into his arms and held her close, rubbing her back. "If I could make him talk to you, I would."

"I know." She forced a smile to her face and took a step back, peeking around him. His three brothers stood behind the couch, dark expressions on their faces. "Hi, guys," she said. "I have pizza in the oven, and-"

"Meli." Raph moved toward her. His eyes were deep with concern. "You don't have to do that." He stopped in front of her and put his big hands on her shoulders. "We know how much that upsets ya."

She nodded. "I know. But there's no sense in moping over it, either. I can't change anything." She smiled over at Mikey and Donnie. "You guys have to be starving, though. I know Splinter was really giving you a work-out today." She moved away from Raph and headed into the kitchen. She put on an oven mitt and reached into the oven to take out the two pizzas she'd made earlier. Setting them on coasters on the table, she smiled at the four boys, wanting to reassure them that she was okay.

Mikey grabbed a plate and immediately loaded it with four pizzas. "Oh, man, _home-made_ pizza! You're the best sister ever!" he said.

"Don't let April hear you say that," Donnie warned. He too loaded a plate and began eating.

"Oh, yeah. Um, you're both really great sisters," Mikey quickly amended. Raph cuffed the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Shut up," Raph told him. He handed Leo a plate and filled one for himself. Meli went to the fridge and got out two-liters of soda and set them on the table. She glanced up and caught Raph's eye; he frowned, and she smiled.

"I'm okay," she mouthed to him, but he didn't seem swayed. She poured some Mountain Dew for herself and headed into the living room. The boys soon joined her, and it was quiet for a few minutes as they worked their way through both of the pizzas. She loved this time of night, when they came over and hung out. They were the family she'd never had.

"So, what's on the agenda tonight?" Donnie asked. He'd finished first and was eager to get to work.

"Well, I think everything is pretty much done now," she said. "If you guys want to move the old couch out to the alley, that would be great. My new one is getting delivered tomorrow." _One without bullet holes, thank goodness._ Some of her customers had asked her about the holes, and why the store had been closed for a week, and she'd simply said it had been a random drive-by. She shuddered delicately remembering that night, and Leo set his hand on hers, giving it a squeeze.

"We can do that," he said. He looked to his brothers. "Come on, guys. Let's get to it." They followed him out into the store, and Meli smiled as she watched how effortlessly they picked up the old behemoth, how seamlessly they worked together. They really were amazing. She hurried ahead to open up the back door, and they carried it out and set it down.

"Gees, sucker's heavy," Raph said, giving the old couch a slap.

"It is. It belonged to..." Meli trailed off, a wave of sadness cresting over her. Leo reached for her, and she let him tuck her in close to his chest. She took a deep breath. "It belonged to Uncle Rafe. He bought it overseas somewhere, and had it shipped here as an opening day present when we first opened the Trove."

"It is a pretty cool couch," Donnie said. "But that new one you picked out is really nice, too."

Meli smiled. She'd ordered the new one online, and had shown it the boys the week before. "I know, I really like it. Hopefully it's comfortable."

"Why do you have a couch in the store?" Mikey asked as they walked back into the apartment.

"I have it so people can sit and look at the books before they buy them," she said. "A lot of the books are expensive, and I don't want someone to be unhappy with what they bought." She led them back to the store, and gestured around the room. "I love all the things in here, and I want whoever they end up with to love them, too."

"You should get some old sais or somethin' in here," Raph said. "Or swords, or you know, ninja weapons. People would go for those."

Meli smiled. "You know, I think they really would. That's a good idea. I've always had books, and trinkets from other countries, but weapons would be a seller, too." She gave Leo's hand a squeeze. "And I have four experts who can check the weapons over for me."

Leo nodded, a twinkle in his blue eyes. "We'd be glad to help you," he said. There was a knock on the front door; Leo instantly moved Meli behind him, while his three brothers fanned out to his sides, forming a protective ring around her. She smiled to herself and gently pushed on his shell.

"It's okay," she said. The knocking grew more insistent, and she side-stepped out from behind her boyfriend. He reached out and snagged her hand, giving her a stern look.

"You're closed," he said.

"I know. I'm just going to tap the sign," she said. Leo reluctantly let go of her, and she hurried to the door. Reaching up, she tapped her fingers on the eletric "closed" sign, hoping the person would get the hint and leave. She wasn't about to open the door, anyway, not with Leo and his brothers all standing behind her.

"Meli? Meli, sweetheart, open up!"

Her heart seemed to stutter in her chest, and she felt light-headed. Leo rushed to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. She could feel his anxiety, and took a deep breath. "It's okay," she said, turning to face him. "It's my dad."

"Oh." His eyes widened, and he took a step backward. "Um, we'd better go, then." He touched her cheek. "Are you okay? Do you want me to stay? I can hide out in your room or something," he offered.

She stepped close to him and kissed his cheek. "Why don't you all stay? I doubt he'll stay here long. He never stays with me."

"Really? Well," Leo glanced behind him, "I guess that would be alright." Meli saw the apprehension on his brothers' faces, and smiled at them.

"Really, guys, it'll be alright. Why don't you hide out in my room, and I'll come get you when he leaves?" She hoped they'd agree; she wasn't sure she could handle being alone after her father left.

"Okay." Leo gave her a quick kiss and followed his brothers out into the apartment. Meli pulled her shoulders back and turned to the door, and opened it.

"Meli. It's about time." Alastair Tomkins marched in and set his briefcase down on a small table. He shook the snow off his great coat and turned to look at her. "You're looking well."

"You too, Dad." She stepped forward to hug him. His hugs were always quick, efficient, and to-the-point. "You never called me back."

"Well, you know. I was off finding things," he told her. "Do I smell pizza?"

"Yes, but it's all gone." She knew she should've had the boys hide their plates and cups, but decided it wasn't worth worrying about. Her father wouldn't focus on that, anyway.

"Ah, well." He took a look around the room. "Where is Rafe's couch? He'll be upset if something happened to it. He paid a pretty penny for it, you know. Bugger always mentioned it whenever possible."

_Oh, Dad, if only you knew._ But she wasn't sure she could tell him about what all had happened, how her uncle had voluntarily gotten turned into a giant lizard and drowned in a subterranean pool. "Well, someone did a drive-by on the place, and it got shot up. So I'm replacing it," she said.

Alastair's eyes grew wide. "A drive-by? My goodness. I see you were unharmed, then."

_Yes, thanks to a pair of ninja turtles._ It was really amazing how much she couldn't tell him, how much her life had changed in the last couple weeks. "I'm okay. But the big window was wrecked, so I had to have that replaced, too."

"I see." He reached out and patted his briefcase. "I found something quite special on this last trip of mine. Would you like to see it?" There was a gleam in his eyes that reminded her of Mikey when he had something cool to show her, and she smiled.

"I'd love to."

"Good." Alastair opened the case and took out something wrapped in cloth. "This little treasure is just for you, sweetheart. I simply couldn't resist." He unwrapped it and handed her a small turtle figurine. It was heavy and green, with soft yellow eyes, and its shell glittered with different hues of blue, red, purple, and orange. "It caught my eye, and I just had to have it," Alastair added. "It really beckoned to me."

"Oh, Dad..." Meli couldn't even begin to find the words to express what she was feeling. It reminded her so much of all four brothers, and tears moistened the corners of her eyes. "It's amazing, Dad, really. I love it."

"Good." Alastair smiled wide. "I thought you would like it. I know I've been gone quite a bit, my sweet, but I have found some wonderful things."

"Are you staying awhile this time?" she asked. She cradled the turtle to her chest, unwilling to set it down just yet.

"Well, I don't know. A few associates of mine are in town, and I've planned to meet them tonight for drinks. But after that, well, I just don't know." He gave her an apologetic look. "I know we rarely see each other these days. You know, you should come with me sometime. See the world."

"I'm content here, Dad. This is enough for me," she said. There was no way she could ever leave Leo, or her new family. Not for any adventure.

"Whatever happened to that scroll I sent you? Did Rafe ever try to attain it?" Alastair frowned. "I really didn't want to involve you, but you're such a smart girl, I knew you'd be able to handle it."

_Gee, thanks, Dad. _"Um, well, yes, he did try to take it. But I was able to get rid of it, and-"

"What? You got rid of it? Sweetheart, that was an irreplaceable piece of history! Why on earth would you do that?" His voice rose as he spoke, and she bit her lip. She could tell him what had really happened, but didn't want to tell him about the boys. "Oh, I'm quite disappointed in you." He walked away and she knew he was upset, but also knew it wouldn't last. Something else would catch his attention. He went to the big bookcase that had the atlases on it, and turned to her. "Say, did an older fellow come in today? Buy an atlas from you?"

_I knew it. _"He did," she said. "Who is he? He told me you said to say hello."

"He's an old friend from my childhood. We've decided to do some adventuring together." He grinned. "That atlas he bought will help us find many more treasures."

His excitement was fetching, but she couldn't find it in herself to be too excited, knowing his "adventuring" would take him far away from her again. "So are you leaving soon, then?"

"I suppose so. As soon as we pick a direction." He walked back over to her and reached out, taking hold of her shoulders. "I love you, sweetheart, and I'm very proud of you for sticking it out here in this terrible city. I have a new phone now, and I'll leave the number with you." He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Anytime you want to come along, you let me know. I'd love to have you."

Her heart swelled and she hugged him around the waist tightly. "I love you too, Daddy," she said, hoping her voice didn't reveal just how emotional she was feeling.

He reached into his coat pocket and took out a small piece of paper. "My new number," he told her. She took it and tucked it into her jeans pocket. "I really must be going now, dear, but know that if ever you need me, you can call. You can always fly out and meet me somewhere, too."

"I know, Dad." She watched him take up his briefcase and walked him to the door. He smiled at her and left. She shut the door and locked it, and slid to the floor, the little turtle folded securely in her hands. She realized he hadn't told her how he'd come across the scroll, or known what it was, but somehow, that didn't matter now. The scroll was indeed history, and her uncle was gone.

"Meli." She looked up and saw Leo hurrying toward her, while his brothers looked on.

"I'm okay," she said, and let him help her to her feet. He hugged her gently, and the warmth of his solid body and touch of his warm hands soothed her spirit. She showed him the turtle. "Dad got this for me overseas."

"Wow." Leo took it from her and held it carefully. The others came and gathered around them.

"It has all of our colors on it," Mikey pointed out, a grin on his face. "That's so cool!"

"Heavy," Raph commented as he took it from Leo. "Nice."

"I wonder what kind of turtle it is?" Donnie said. "Maybe a sea turtle, with all of the different colors."

"Does it have to be any one kind?" Raph asked. "Can't it just be a turtle?"

Meli took the little turtle from Raph. "Follow me," she said. She walked over to an old heavy oak desk and set the turtle down, then opened one of the drawers and rummaged around. Finding what she wanted, she pulled out a small piece of black material and a pair of scissors. The boys were quiet as she worked, Mikey leaning close to see what she was doing. She took the little scrap and bent down over the turtle, hiding it from Mikey's view. Finished, she turned to the four of them with a grin, and held out the turtle. "How about this?"

"Awesome, Meli."

"Cool!"

"Yeah, that's wicked."

"Best kind of turtle."

She blushed and let them pass the little turtle around, a black mask adorning his little head. "Thanks, guys." When Leo handed it back to her, she set it down on the desk. "Thank you for staying. I didn't want to be alone after he left."

"Are you okay with him showing up and just leaving again so soon?" Leo asked. His voice was soft.

"I will be. I mean, that's how he is. But he got a new phone, and left me the number, so I can at least call him now whenever I want," she said.

"What about the scroll? Did he say anything about that?" Donnie asked.

"He wanted to know if Uncle Rafe had tried to get it, so I told him it was destroyed." She sighed. "But he didn't tell me anything else about it. I'm not sure it was really that important to him. He gets easily distracted by new things."

"Huh, wonder who that sounds like." Raph reached out and whacked Mikey on the shell. The youngest turtle glared at him.

"Hey, I can't help it. I have a questioning mind," Mikey argued.

Raph rolled his eyes. "Yeah, ya got something," he said. "So, since we're done here, maybe we should play some video games?" There was a hopeful note in his voice, and Meli laughed.

"I think that can be arranged," she said. "I have the newest Black Ops if you want to try that. It just came out yesterday."

"Sweet!" Mikey and Raph gave each other a high five and bolted for the apartment. Donnie grinned and sauntered after them.

Leo ignored his brothers and kept his gaze pinned to Meli. "So, they're gone. Tell me how you're _really_ doing," he said.

The smile left her face. "I'll be okay. I just, sometimes I wish this was enough for him, you know? But he's not happy in one place. He never has been, so it's not fair of me to expect him to stay." Her voice was low, and she didn't try to hide the sadness anymore. Leo wouldn't expect her to.

He pulled her into a hug, and rested his chin on top of her head. "I'm sorry. I wish he would stay for awhile. I know it's hard for you, having him gone so much."

She nodded against his chest. Here, in his strong arms, she didn't feel so bad. And she knew her father wasn't gone for good; he'd be back, bringing new treasures to stock the Trove with. "It is, but you know what?" She pulled back so she could see his face. "I have another family now, with a father and sister and three great brothers. And," she gently traced the line of his jaw, "a boyfriend who is the best guy in the whole world. So I'm pretty well-off."

Leo smiled and gently kissed her. "I love you, Meli. And I promise, you'll always be able to count on us, and on me."

"I know." She leaned against him. "You can count on me, too," she whispered. _Forever._


End file.
